Black History’s Connection to Minority Health
It’s National Minority Health Month – a time to reflect on the inequitable burden that racial and ethnic minorities face as it relates to health care and ways to improve health outcomes for all.
Observance of minority health in April directly connects to a prominent figure in American Black history: Booker T. Washington. In fact, April was chosen because it’s Mr. Washington’s birth month!
Early in the 20th century, most of the Black population in the U.S. was concentrated in the rural south and unfortunately living in poverty. The idea of formal health care did not exist for Black Americans, and many lived in communities that lacked proper sanitation, had substandard housing, and had insufficient access to healthy foods. In 1914, during a Tuskegee Negro Convention, Booker T. Washington presented data showing the economic costs of poor health for Black Americans. He stated, “without health, and until we reduce the high death rate, it will be impossible for us to have permanent success in business, in property getting, in acquiring education, or to show other evidences of progress." As a result of this startling data, Washington launched the National Health Improvement Week in 1915, later known as National Negro Health Week (NNHW), and eventually became National Minority Health Month.
Through the stewardship of bipartisan members in the U.S. House and Senate, in 2002, National Minority Health Month received support from the U.S. Congress with a concurrent resolution. Specifically, that resolution recognized that “a National Minority Health and Health Disparities Month should be established to promote educational efforts on the health problems currently facing minorities and other populations experiencing health disparities.” Further, the resolution encouraged “all health organizations and Americans to conduct appropriate programs and activities to promote healthfulness in minority and other communities experiencing health disparities.”
While National Minority Health Month has expanded over the years to include all racial and ethnic groups, some of the same inequities that Booker T. Washington recognized are unfortunately still plaguing Black people. Consider these statistics:
Black people face persistent disparities in health care and outcomes.
Black people have higher uninsured rates as they are more likely to not have insurance due to costs resulting in worse health status.
Black adults in the U.S. are nearly twice as likely to develop diabetes compared to white adults.
Black men have the highest prostate cancer mortality rate among all U.S. population groups
Black women have a lower incidence of breast cancer than White women but a higher mortality rate
Black people’s life expectancy is nearly five years shorter compared to White people (72.8 years vs. 77.5 years).
Black infants have a more than two times higher infant mortality rate than White infants.
Black people are nearly three times more likely than White people to die due to pregnancy-related reasons.
Bold policy action is needed to overcome these statistics and move toward more equitable health outcomes! More action over words. National Minority Health Month allows us to renew a commitment to decreasing health disparities for all. Without the vision and leadership of Booker T. Washington, we might not have a month designated to minority health. Let’s work collectively to honor his mission to improve the health status of the Black population. Learn more about ways to get involved in this year’s observance of National Minority Health Month here.