Let's End Health Disparities
Center for African-American
Health Disparities
Education & Research
Internationally Awarded Research Nonprofit
POWERING UP THE FUTURE OF BLACK WOMEN'S HEALTH
Mission Statements
01
Through rigorous health disparities research, we envision a world where every Black woman accesses quality healthcare with dignity.
02
We champion the voices of Black women, forging pathways of health agency and self-advocacy within their communities.
03
By mentoring the next generation of Black women health professionals, we cultivate transformative equity researchers and trailblazing leaders, driving forward a holistic, sustainable vision for health justice and prosperity.
Black women's spiritual, emotional, mental, and physical health is our priority.
The Need for CAAHDER is Essential
1. Black women historically and contemporarily face unique health challenges rooted in societal inequities and systemic biases. These disparities manifest not just in health outcomes, but in access to quality care, representation in health professions, and agency in personal health decisions.
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2. Many White men or women collect and interpret data on Black women's health. While their efforts are helpful, they do not live in the disparities, inequities, and biases stemming from a legacy of chattel slavery that weathers Black women through chronic and cumulative racial stress.
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3. The gap in quality of research, healthcare, and community health for Black women means missed opportunities for early diagnosis, preventative care, and optimal treatments, further exacerbating health disparities.
4. Black women's lived experiences and insights are invaluable. Engaging with them as community members to shape health solutions ensures interventions are relevant, culturally sensitive, and effective.
4. There is a striking underrepresentation of Black women in transformational equity research and health leadership. By mentoring Black women in these fields, we not only amplify their voices and perspectives but also catalyze systemic change that can benefit entire communities.
Current Projects
Our main research focus is investigating the clinical implications of endorsing the strong Black women stereotype in maternal mental, perinatal, and postpartum health. In our Black women's mentoring program, we engage these students in the health professions in CAAHDER's research.
01
Strong Black Woman Endorsement among Pregnant Black Women
This funded study investigates the association of the strong Black women stereotype to maternal mental and perinatal health. Click here to see a recent poster presentation for the 2023 American Public Health Association Conference
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Black Women and Health Resilience
This project is a systemic literature review of Black women's perceptions of resiliencies in health contexts. Grounded theory is used to develop a model of Black women's health resiliences to serve as a framework for further research on the strong Black woman and coping.
02
Internalized Racism & Strong Black Women Endorsement Postpartum
This funded study addresses the influence of internalized racism, strong Black women, and structural racism in postpartum stress (i.e., Cytokines in breast milk), breastfeeding, and infant health outcomes.
04
Black Women, Misinformation, & Health
This funded study addresses exposure among Black women to menthol cigarette and e-cigarette misinformation and misinformed peer-to-peer communication on the use of these products and their health perceptions related to using thse products.
