Skip to Main Content

Black History Month

This guide provides links to information on notable figures in the Black struggle, accomplishments, traditions and the history of a people's journey

Black Health & Wellness

"When white folks catch a cold, Black folks get pneumonia."

This old saying, uttered by members of the African American community when economic disparities become grimmer, reveals how insidious anti-black racism is, even in medical metaphor form. In this particular pandemic moment, the disproportionate impact of disease on Black and Brown people, as well as other groups who face societal detriments against them, is wreaking havoc within this country and more broadly, our larger global society. 

 

Videos on Food, Racism & Health

E-Books on Inequities in Health

Black Women's Mental Health

Offers an interdisciplinary look at the challenges and potency of Black women's struggle for inner peace and mental stability. It brings together contributors from psychology, sociology, law, and medicine, as well as the humanities, to discuss issues ranging from stress, sexual assault, healing, self-care, and contemplative practice to health-policy considerations and parenting. 

Reclaiming Our Health

According to the federal Office of Minority Health, African Americans "are affected by serious diseases and health conditions at far greater rates than other Americans." In fact, African Americans suffer an estimated 85,000 excess deaths every year from diseases we know how to prevent: heart disease, stroke, cancer, high blood pressure, and diabetes. 

Black Mental Health: Patients, Providers, and Systems

Examines the role of African Americans within American psychiatric health care from distinct but interconnected perspectives. The experiences of both black patients and the black mental health professionals who serve them are analyzed against the backdrop of the cultural, societal, and professional forces that have shaped their place in this specialized health care arena. 

Promoting Health and Wellness in Underserved Communities

Starting from the premise that our health status, vulnerability to accidents and disease, and life spans - as individuals and communities - are determined by the organization, delivery, and financing (or lack thereof) of health care, this book explores how educators and community caretakers teach the complex web of inter-connection between the micro level of individual health and well-being and the macro level of larger social structures. 

The Racial Divide in American Medicine: Black Physicians and the Struggle for Justice in Health Care

Documents the struggle for equity in health and health care by African Americans in Mississippi and the United States and the connections between what happened there and the national search for social justice in health care. Dr. Richard D. deShazo and the contributors to the volume trace the dark journey from a system of slave hospitals in the state, through Reconstruction, Jim Crow, and the civil rights era, to the present day. 

Health Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion

Helps the reader understand key social justice issues relevant to health disparities and/or health equity, taking the reader from the classroom to the real world to implement new solutions. 

The Wrong Complexion for Protection

When the images of desperate, hungry, thirsty, sick, mostly black people circulated in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, it became apparent to the whole country that race did indeed matter when it came to government assistance. Robert D. Bullard and Beverly Wright place the government response to natural and human-induced disasters in historical context over the past eight decades. 

Mental Health

Trevor Noah looks at the ways black people are kept from therapy by racial inequalities in diagnosing mental illness, a lack of black therapists and stigma from within the black community.

Public Health

Physical Fitness does not have to be complicated. The speaker presents his ideas on motivation, measuring your fitness level, and exercises to become fit.

Healthcare Industry

A hospice therapist's talk about the causation of early death, specifically in racially marginalized communities.

Maternity & Women's Health

Maternal Care Reformer Wanda Irving had her life turned upside down when she lost her only daughter, Shalon Irving, at the hands of “the covert bias of her medical provider.”

Perspectives on Health & Wellness

Trevor Noah looks at the ways black people are kept from therapy by racial inequalities in diagnosing mental illness, a lack of black therapists and stigma from within the black community.

A hospice therapist's talk about the causation of early death, specifically in racially marginalized communities.

Physical Fitness does not have to be complicated. The speaker presents his ideas on motivation, measuring your fitness level, and exercises to become fit.

Spoken word meet social critique in this power piece exploring the cyclical nature of mental health challenges within the black community.

Combating Racism and Place-ism in Medicine - J. Nwando Olayiwola - TEDxKingLincolnBronzeville

Dr. Nwando Olayiwola explains how the medical profession does harm to patients by perpetuating racism & committing place-ism, ignoring place & health connections.

Maternal Care Reformer Wanda Irving had her life turned upside down when she lost her only daughter, Shalon Irving, at the hands of “the covert bias of her medical provider.”

Over the last 5-7 years, Clinician for Climate Action Cheryl Holder has noticed the rise of a different epidemic among vulnerable and low-resource populations.

On & Off Campus Resources

Suicide Prevention & Mental Health Resources