A Review of Black Health History

HAPPY BLACK HISTORY MONTH!

Even though we treat every day of the year as a time for learning and appreciating our history around here!

But I think it's important that we all understand just how our health can heal our community because:

A HEALTHY COMMUNITY IS A THRIVING COMMUNITY.

And by reviewing black history we learn a few black pioneers who created their own solutions for health and healing IN SPITE OF the discrimination of their time, how the issues our ancestors faced still impacts our health today, what's been done in our communities to fight against health disparities from the past to the present, and how ultimately, taking on your wellness journey can be the catalyst to bettering your community.

We stand on the shoulders of Giants like Dr. James McCune Smith (the first black American to earn a medical degree and open a pharmacy), Rebecca Lee Crumpler (the first Black woman to become a Doctor of Medicine) and Daniel Hale Williams (performed one of the first successful open-heart surgeries AND founded the first interracial hospital in the country) breaking though ceilings and making groundbreaking contributions to medicine.

Even still, the health of our community faced systemic disparities that marinated in years of slavery, segregation, and mal-fucking-practice.

And they have THE NERVE to question why we don't trust the medical system.

Studies like the Tuskegee Syphilis Study, the treatment of Henrietta Lacks, and the so-called "father of gynecology" who SHALL NOT be named here, all represent how incomprehensible beliefs can lead to the exploitation and inhumane experimentation on people without sympathy, recourse, or ANESTHESIA.

Take a deep breath with me... cause WHEW!

Conscious and unconscious bias is still prevalent within healthcare, and it only makes sense to say that this history remains an influence on current health outcomes. It's why we need health equity, making the conversation a social and political one. One that emphasizes that health is without a doubt linked to justice.

**Random Thought: Did you know that if you switch to seeing medical practitioners that resemble you, you'd have better health outcomes?

Historically, different groups rose to the occasion building their own wellness infrastructures and advocating for health as a civil rights issue. The Black Panther Party was influential in this area as they launched free health clinics in local communities to bridge the gap. There are groups today carrying out the same initiative, groups like:

• Black Women’s Health Imperative (BWHI),

• The Center for Black Health & Equity,

• African American Wellness Project,

• The Future of Black Health Equity, and

• Advancing Black Health and Wellness Through Education and Advocacy

  Do what they can to ensure that health disparities are addressed

  through advocacy, education, and community-based programs.

But what can you do on an individual scale? You have the ability to influence the health and healing of those around you by arming yourself with knowledge (because when you know better, you do better), adopting not just a healthy lifestyle, but one centered on wellness, volunteering, advocate for yourself and others, and building solid connections with those within your community.

When we lead by example, we can inspire others to make healthier choices, break generational curses, and contribute to a more supportive and resilient community. That's the entire goal of the rejooov collective, but it takes your involvement on an individual scale.

Thanks for reading! Tell me your thoughts below and check me out almost everywhere on socials:

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Love & Light

-Cina