Wellness Wishers: Black Women Helping Us Live Healthier Lives
African-American women who have made waves in health.
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We Can Do It! - For generations, Black women have made amazing contributions to the medical and public health field. Whether being a celebrity spokesperson or being the first Black female doctor or changing the way that we talk about health, these amazing African-American women are inspirations to us all. — Kellee Terrell (@kelleent) (Photos from left: Win McNamee/Getty Images, Lacks Family via The Henrietta Lacks Foundation/AP Photo, Cindy Ord/BET/Getty Images for BET)
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First Lady Michelle Obama - While known for her impeccable sense of fashion and strength, FLOTUS Michelle Obama is a serious health advocate, especially when it comes to childhood obesity. In 2010, she created Let’s Move!, a popular program aimed at reducing obesity rates among children in the U.S.. Her work has even helped bring healthier lunches to schools across the country. (Photo: Cliff Owen/AP Photo, File)
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Jocelyn Elders - In 1993, under President Clinton, Dr. Elders became the first African-American to serve as Surgeon General. She was revolutionary, advocating for drug legalization, a pro-choice nation and passing out contraceptives in schools. Unfortunately, she was fired in 1994 for comments encouraging that “masturbation be taught in schools” in order to address the HIV epidemic. (Photo: Mike Theiler / Reuters)
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Alicia Keys - Since 2002, Grammy Award-winning singer Alicia Keys has made HIV/AIDS in Africa a top priority by creating the organization Keep a Child Alive, which provides lifesaving AIDS medications for Africans living with HIV. Recently, Keys and the Kaiser Family Foundation created Empowerment, a new program for women in the U.S. living with HIV.(Photo: STUART PRICE/AFP/Getty Images)
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Mary Eliza Mahoney - Mahoney was the first Black woman registered nurse in the U.S. In 1905, she graduated from New England Hospital for Women and Children, becoming a well-respected private nurse with clients throughout the country. She also became a member of the American Nurses Association, which at the time was not always welcoming to Blacks. (Photo: Wiki Commons)
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Dr. Rachael Ross - One of the newest additions to the Emmy-winning show The Doctors, sexologist and family doc Rachael Ross has been impacting Black folks health for over a decade. But most importantly, Ross has been a pioneer in educating Black youth about sexual health, HIV/AIDS and STDs. (Photo: Cindy Ord/BET/Getty Images for BET)
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Myra Adele Logan - In 1943, Logan became the first female surgeon to perform open-heart surgery in the U.S. Her later work in conducting research around antibiotics, breast cancer and X-rays made a huge impact in the medical field. After retirement, Logan became an outspoken advocate for Planned Parenthood and the NAACP. (Photo: aaM Photography, Ltd./Getty Images)
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Michelle Williams - In 2013, former Destiny’s Child singer Michelle Williams opened up about suffering from depression as a teen. Williams didn’t take meds for help, but credits therapy, exercise and positive thinking to overcoming this mental health illness. Williams told Rolling Out Magazine that she hopes that sharing her story will help others to seek the help that they need. (Photo: Matt Sayles/AP Photo, file)
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Mamie Phipps Clark - Mamie Phipps Clark was one of the first African-American women to earn a Ph.D. in psychology from Columbia University. Clark studied self-esteem, blackness and mental health. She is best known for the “Clark Doll Test” that played a major role in the Brown vs. Board of Education case that ended up desegregating schools in the U.S. (Photo: Columbia University)
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Nicole Ari Parker - Concerned about her own 30-pound weight gain and her concern that hair was an obstacle for other Black women working out, actress Nicole Ari Parker created the Save Your Do Gym Wrap. This headband absorbs sweat from the hair making it easier for Black women to work out and not wreck their ‘do. (Photo: Leon Bennett/BET/Getty Images for BET)
Photo By Photo: Leon Bennett/BET/Getty Images for BET
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Dr. Michelle Gourdine - Whether through her book, Reclaiming Our Health: A Guide to African-American Wellness, speaking to the community or with her impeccable bedside manner, Dr. Michelle Gourdine is dedicated to helping close the racial health disparity gap. By inspiring us with practicial and everyday advice on better health, Gourdine is empowering Blacks to live their best lives. (Photo: Courtesy of Michelle Gourdine)
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Rebecca Lee Crumpler - Dr. Crumpler was the first African-American woman to earn a medical degree in 1864. She devoted her life to improving health in the Black community through research and working in clinics. When the Civil War ended, she dedicated her career to helping newly freed Blacks in the South by providing them medical care. (Photo: Wiki Commons)
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K. Michelle - Domestic violence can happen to anyone — just ask Love and Hip Hop Atlanta star K. Michelle, who was a victim herself. Last August, Michelle teamed up with Young Black and Fabulous (YBF) for her Rebel Against Campaign. The campaign uses videos and pictures on Tumblr to share stories of other women around the country who have experienced forms of abuse.(Photo: Bennett Raglin/BET/Getty Images)
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Marvelyn Brown - Before Marvelyn Brown bravely spoke out about her HIV-status in 2004, there weren’t any millennial voices that had been infected with HIV through heterosexual sex in the media. Thanks to her book, PSAs and countless speaking engagements, millions of young Black adults can see how they are not invincible to HIV/AIDS.(Photo:Daniel Tanner/ WENN.com)
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Dr. Regina Benjamin - A trailblazer, this former U.S. Surgeon General was appointed in 2009 by President Obama. Dr. Benjamin was the force behind the first National Prevention Strategy, believing that social determinants played a major role in our health outcome. She also spoke out about the need for Black women to care more about health than their hair. (Photo: Robert Giroux/Getty Images)
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Harriet Washington - In 2007, Washington dropped one of the most important books on medical racism — Medical Apartheid: The Dark History of Medical Experimentation on Black Americans from Colonial Times to the Present. This book gave an extensive peek inside the Tuskegee Experiments and the countless ways that doctors and researchers conducted numerous unethical surgeries and procedures against the Black body. (Photo: Anchor Books)
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Dr. Dorothy Lavinia Brown - Dr. Dorothy Lavinia Brown was the first African-American woman surgeon in the South. Despite being raised in an orphanage, Brown excelled, also becoming the chief of surgery at Nashville's Riverside Hospital and the first Black woman fellow of the American College of Surgeons. Brown also was in politics, being the first Black woman to serve in the Tennessee legislature. (Photo: Courtesy of the U.S. Department of the Interior)
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Henrietta Lacks - Henrietta Lacks never consented to having her cervical cells taken and cultured in a lab, but her cells were the first known human immortal cells used in medical research. Now referred to as the HeLa cell line, these cells have been used in AIDS, cancer, gene mapping and other scientific work. Her life is being turned into an HBO film produced by Oprah Winfrey. (Photo: Lacks Family via The Henrietta Lacks Foundation/AP Photo)
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Hilary Beard - Whether health journalist Hilary Beard is overseeing editorial content for the Black AIDS Institute, writing health features for Essence and other Black media or writing books, for the past 20 years, she has ensured that African-Americans can get their hands on much needed information about our health. Read about her newest book, Promises Kept: Raising Black Boys to Succeed in School and in Life here.(Photo: Courtesy hilarybeard.com)
