Been slowly reading about the history of health activism in Black communities across the U.S.

I saw this earlier this morning- Booker T Washington astutely connected the health status of the community w/ Black folks' ability to participate economically & socially. https://twitter.com/KidadaEWilliams/status/1358393738473668614?s=20

I am also reminded of W.E.B. DuBois' work on health outcomes in Black communities across the U.S.- an early precursor to what we call social epidemiology today.

Importantly, too, I was reminded of health activism lead by Black women- midwives, teachers, nurses, club women.

Yes, Booker T Washington is credited w/ creating National Negro Health Week in 1914, but Black women were doing that work even before Emancipation.

In this period- 1890-1930s, Black advocates had to lobby the US Public Health Service to create an Office for Negro Health Work (1932) to headquarter what became the National Negro Health Week campaign, which later became a year-round movement (Nat'l Negro Health Movement).

This coincided with the Great Depression & the federal New Deal under Roosevelt, which was an expansion of gov't & social services. Many of these programs maintained racial segregation, & excluded Black folks (notably, exclusion from relief aimed at the agricultural sector)

BUT, the health of Black folks was a concern for both middle-class Black advocates & the federal government. If people were too sick to work, they were also less likely to prosper. Orgs like the National Medical Association called for addressing poverty & its deleterious effects.

This concern- the health status of Black folks insofar as they are able to participate in the labor market- was a longstanding concern brought to fore with Emancipation. Diseases associated w/ poverty & lack of infrastructure investment were highly prevalent in Black communities.

Looks like I accidentally split the #thread. Here's the next tweet: https://twitter.com/Arrianna_Planey/status/1358470567297482754?s=20