History of Black Women’s Health
You already know healthcare hasn’t always served Black women well. It’s a history filled with strength, challenges, and hard-won progress. For generations, we’ve faced a different reality than white women when it comes to our health.
It’s an undeniable fact that the history of Black women’s health is one of trauma and pain — but it is also one of victories and milestones worthy of celebration. Let’s explore how the past has shaped our health and how we can advance to a healthier future.
What To Know About Black Women’s Pre-Colonial Healthcare
African societies had strong community-based healthcare before colonialism, and Black women played an essential role as healers and midwives.
Outperforming European methods, their herbal remedies, spiritual practices, and deep knowledge of reproductive health made noteworthy advancements to medical knowledge. This holistic approach integrated mental, physical, and spiritual well-being while keeping health disparities relatively low. The respect for women’s healthcare roles in these societies is in stark contrast to the mistreatment and neglect Black women would later face in America.
How Did Slavery Impact Black Women’s Health?
Slavery in America had devastating impacts on the health of Black women. Brutal labor, poor food, and no healthcare led to widespread illnesses. Maternal health became especially dangerous, with high infant mortality rates and maternal mortality rates. Complications such as hemorrhaging also increased.
Slave owners saw Black women as objects for experimentation and didn’t care about consent. Doctors like J. Marion Sims, who is often known as the “father of modern gynecology,” performed experimental surgeries on enslaved women without anesthesia. There may be no better example of the mistreatment and exploitation faced by African American women.
Black women showed incredible strength despite the odds. They relied on traditional knowledge to improve health outcomes for themselves and their Black communities by creating informal healthcare networks. They were key figures in laying the foundation for future generations fighting to address health inequities.
What Were Some Post-Emancipation Health Struggles for Black Women?
Black women continued to face health disparities after the abolition of slavery due to systemic racism and oppressed socioeconomic status. Segregation kept them from healthcare facilities and high-quality medical care. The rates of diseases such as breast cancer and hypertension remained higher among Black women compared to their white counterparts.
Black communities fought back and became pioneers in public health and medicine. Shortly after emancipation, hospitals run by and for Black people opened in major cities and offered crucial services while building community.
Women like Mary Eliza Mahoney, the first Black nurse, and Dr. Rebecca Lee Crumpler, the first Black woman doctor, became healthcare heroes and paved the way for a brighter future.
How Did the Civil Rights Movement Impact Health Equity?
The Civil Rights movement of the 1950s and ‘60s was about more than racial equality — it was about health equity, too. During the fight for civil rights and social justice, Black women activists like Fannie Lou Hamer and Dr. Dorothy Height fought for better healthcare access and challenged the systemic racism in health services.
The movement led to the landmark laws in 1965 that you’d recognize today as Medicare and Medicaid, but that wasn’t the end of the fight.
Disparities continued to exist for health outcomes, and the prevalence of certain health conditions remained disproportionally high, but the Civil Rights Movement set the stage for ongoing advocacy and prepared the way for future health equity initiatives.
What Are Some Challenges and Achievements in Modern Day Healthcare?
It’s no secret Black women still face health hurdles. Systemic racism, social factors, socioeconomic barriers, and generational medical trauma all play a role. Black women experience higher rates of chronic diseases, and mental health struggles continue. Many of these are linked to social determinants of health, such as access, economic stability, and environmental factors.
However, there’s progress, too.
Medical research advances continue to improve outcomes for women of color. Organizations like the Black Women’s Health Imperative and initiatives like the National Institute of Health’s “All of Us” Research Program continue fighting for change. Black women leaders like Dr. Joycelyn Elders, the first African American woman to serve as U.S. Surgeon General, continue to push for health equity and pave the way for a healthier future for us all.
What Is the Future of Health for Black Americans?
The history of Black women’s health is both a painful reminder and a testament to the strength, determination, and resilience of African American women. While the future is optimistic, there’s still a lot of work to do. We need more research, like the Black Women’s Health Study, which focuses on Black women. Issues like diseases caused by vitamin B deficiencies that are more prevalent in our populations need more recognition and exploration.
It is critical to continue fighting for policies that address social factors that impact our health. Community disease prevention, maternity, and mental health programs can make a big difference. Doctors need to be trained to provide culturally competent care and understand the needs of Black people. We also need more vitamins and supplements designed to support Black women’s health needs.
As telemedicine and new technologies improve our access to care, we also need more Black medical professionals. That’s why Black Girl Vitamins uses a portion of every order to support scholarships for Black women studying in a healthcare-related field. Together, we can create a healthier future for Black women.
Sources:
Precolonial Pharmaceutical Advances of African People | University of Florida
Black History Month: A Medical Perspective | Duke University