Black Patients and the Opioid Crisis: How Hajee House Is Fighting Barriers to Treatment

The opioid crisis has swept across the United States, but its impact on Black communities often goes unseen and untreated. While overdose deaths among Black Americans have skyrocketed in recent years—especially due to fentanyl-laced drugs—access to proper care, medication, and support remains disproportionately low.

A complex web of racial bias, lack of cultural understanding in healthcare, and systemic neglect has left many Black families with nowhere to turn.

But in Charlotte, North Carolina, one mother’s loss became a mission to save others.

Hajee House Harm Reduction & Founder Terica Carter

Terica Carter, a mother who lost her son Tahajee to an overdose, turned her grief into action. In his honor, she launched Hajee House Harm Reduction, a grassroots organization that supports Black and Latino individuals struggling with substance use—particularly those at risk of overdose.

Based in Charlotte, Hajee House provides essential services like:

• Syringe exchange programs

• Naloxone (Narcan) distribution

• Harm reduction education

• Culturally competent peer support

What sets Hajee House apart is its community-first, judgment-free approach. It recognizes that trust, understanding, and representation are essential when serving historically underserved communities. The organization doesn’t just treat addiction—it tackles the systemic problems that cause so many Black residents to be ignored or criminalized when they need care the most.

“Hajee House was born from pain but fueled by purpose,” says Terica Carter. “My son’s life will continue to save others.”

A National Problem with Local Impact

National data shows that Black Americans are less likely to receive medication-assisted treatment for opioid use disorder. Implicit bias in healthcare contributes to undertreatment and skepticism toward Black patients—many of whom are misjudged or denied proper medication due to outdated racial stereotypes.

The consequences are deadly.

Programs like Hajee House show how community-led efforts can disrupt these cycles. By building trusted, accessible, and culturally aware solutions, they offer a lifeline where the traditional medical system has failed.

Where We Go From Here

Fixing this crisis requires more than emergency response. It demands:

• Funding for Black-led harm reduction programs

• Culturally informed healthcare training

• Policy changes that prioritize equity in addiction treatment

• Community collaboration with trusted organizations like Hajee House

As overdose rates continue to climb, we need more leaders like Terica Carter—and more systems willing to listen to the communities most affected.

If you’d like to support Hajee House Harm Reduction or learn more about how you can help combat the opioid crisis in Black communities, visit their official page https://www.facebook.com/share/1F4EwvS41Q/?mibextid=wwXIfr] or follow them on social media.

Let’s turn awareness into action.