‘I’m Still Here. I’m Still Fighting’: Black Men Living — And Fathering — With Sickle Cell Disease

Westend61/Getty Images By Wunmi Bakare and Clifton Kirkman II ·Updated June 18, 2025

Clifton Kirkman II moves through life with an invisible weight on his shoulders — and in his blood. A Detroit-based father, journalist, and patient advocate, Clifton has lived with traditional roles of masculinity