Black History Month 2022

Each February, the United States celebrates the contributions and sacrifices of African Americans who have helped shape the nation to where we are today. This month serves as a celebration and powerful reminder that Black History is American history and Black culture is American culture. Black History Month sheds a light on the rich cultural heritage, trials and tribulations, and triumphs of the Black community.  

For 2022, this year’s theme is the importance of Black Health and Wellness, which pays homage to not only health care providers and medical scholars in Western medicine but birth workers, doulas, herbalists, naturopaths, etc. that are spread throughout the African Diaspora. This theme considers all of the rituals, activities, and initiatives that the Black community have created and shows how American healthcare has often underserved the African American community. 

Throughout this global pandemic, a widespread disparity to access of quality health care and how it negatively impacts black and brown communities has been shown. This is not a new phenomenon. The root of the problem runs deep and long. Beginning with slavery in this country, the lack of economic opportunity and personal freedom often put medical care out of reach for millions of African Americans. Throughout the Jim Crow era, “White Only” hospitals were the norm all throughout the south of the country. Which is one of the reasons, in order to gain good health and wellness, Black people had to build their own hospitals, medical and nursing schools (i.e. Howard University College of Medicine, Morehouse School of Medicine, Richmond (VA) Community Hospital, Nashville General Hospital at Meharry, etc.) and community clinics. Black medical facilities were often understaffed, underfunded, or completely non-existent. Which had further led to major health disparities.  

Due to the growth in the Public and Community Health and Health Informatics fields, we have been able to make preventative care more prominent, and create a focus on other areas of health like physical exercise and nutrition. Black health and wellness also include emotional and mental health. “According to the Health and Human Services Office of Minority Health, Black adults in the U.S. are more likely than white adults to report persistent symptoms of emotional distress, such as sadness, hopelessness and feeling like everything is an effort.1” This can be due to social determinants of health like racism, discrimination associated with housing, economics, environmental conditions, education and healthcare that have a drastic effect on a person’s mental health. Despite the clear need for help, only 1 in 3 Black adults who need mental health care end up receiving it.  

But despite it all, “At the core or center of Black culture, Black identity, Black art, Black ideology, and Black community is joy,” said Anita Dashiell-Sparks, a professor of theater practice and Associate Dean of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion at the USC School of Dramatic Arts. “Black joy is the heartbeat and pulse of our survival, our resiliency, our perseverance, our health and wellbeing…Joy has been our weapon and superpower in the face of injustice and structural racism.”2 Although the Black community has been through many trials and still has a long way to go to achieve full access, equality, and equity, Black people continue to grow, thrive, and love with resilience and strength.  

Please visit the resources below for more information on Black Health and Wellness:

Books on Black Health and Wellness

Black Mental Health

1.  “Black/AfricanAmerican.” NAMI,https://www.nami.org/Your-Journey/Identity-and-Cultural-Dimensions/Black-African-American.

2.  Miller, Jenesse. “Black History Month 2022 Theme:Health, Wellness and Joy.” USC News, 3 Feb. 2022,https://news.usc.edu/196760/black-history-month-health-wellness-and-a-generous-dose-of-joy/.