2022 Black History Month Theme: Health & Wellness

Formerly known as Freedman’s Hospital, Howard University Hospital was founded in 1862 to treat black Civil War soldiers.

“There’s no American history without African American history.” 

These are the words of the executive director of the Antiracist Research & Policy Center, Sara Clarke Kaplan. 

Since 1926, the US and other countries observe Black History Month annually to honor and celebrate Black people, whose rich cultural heritage, contributions, achievements, and adversities are an indelible part of these nations’ rich history. 

In the US, the celebration coincides with the birthdays of Abraham Lincoln, the US president who was influential in the emancipation of slaves, and Frederick Douglas, a former slave, orator, writer, social reformer, and abolitionist.

Not only that, but we also honor the contribution and legacy of civil rights pioneers, politicians, and activists such as Rosa Parks, Malcolm X, Martin Luther King Jr, and Harriet Tubman, among others.

But it wasn’t until 1976, when the US, under President Gerald Ford, officially recognized Black History Month. 

Today, we celebrate Black History Month with a flurry of activities including events at churches, public schools, corporate offices, universities, museums, and communities across the US. 

Since its inception, there’s always been a theme for every celebration, each year. These themes help focus our attention on particular aspects of Black experience and culture. 

The 2022 theme is Black Health and Wellness. 

This theme celebrates Black home remedies, community initiatives and rituals – while acknowledging the legacy of Black medical practitioners and scholars in Western medicine. 

The Association for the Study of African American Life and History (ASALH) says that the health and wellness theme also recognizes other ways of knowing. These include, but aren’t limited to naturopaths, midwives, doulas, birth workers, and herbalists across the African Diaspora.

All this is in line with Carter G. Woodson’s (father of the Black History) idea to celebrate Black accomplishment. Woodson recognized the power and impact that comes with not only knowing, but also furthering the causes of what our forerunners accomplished. 

From building medical and nursing schools to hospitals, and community clinics, Black people have embarked on social support, mutual aid, and self-determination initiatives – in a bid to foster good health and wellness.

To counter the economic and health disparities and discrimination at mainstream institutions, individuals, organizations, and societies like the National Association of Colored Women the African Union Society, and Black Panther Party established health clinics and community centers. 

Over time, more diverse practitioners and representation emerged in medical and health segment programs, like the Ronald E. McNair Scholars. 

And if you’re a fan of Doc McStuffins, you certainly cannot dismiss its impact, as with the impact of other pop culture texts. 

Fields like Health Informatics, and Public and Community Health, have given rise to preventive care and a focus on physical exercise, body positivity, nutrition, exploring vegetarianism and veganism among other dietary options – and gardening. 

Black Health and Wellness thus transcends the physical body to include mental and emotional health. 

In the 21st century, there’s a broader and more nuanced understanding of this year’s Black History Month theme. 

Podcasts like The Read and social media have normalized mental health discussions and initiatives like Therapy for Black Girls centered around going to therapy. And there are more, whole wellness clinics and studios dedicated to people of color than there were before. 

There’s a stronger move forward holistically by Black people to better themselves, their bodies, relationships, communities, and the world they live in. 

Through education and activism, we’re more driven and determined to create platforms that illuminate the multiple health and wellness facets among Black people. We have a lot to unearth, magnify, interrogate, and fix. 

Despite the pandemic’s overhanging shadow, we can still leverage data and other information-sharing channels to document, decry, and agitate against the inequalities in our country’s structures and systems meant to destroy our lives and well-being in all forms. 

The beauty about our past is that it can provide light for our future. It starts with embracing our ancestors’ traditions, rituals, and healing modalities. But that too requires decolonization of our thoughts and our practices, so we can embrace progressive and cutting-edge therapies and behavior modifications.

That’s what this year’s Black History Month theme seeks to bring out in Black people: a sense of ownership over the achievements of past and present African American trailblazers in the health sciences and wellness spaces. 

These pioneering individuals helped change the course of race relations and healthcare in our country. They invented innovative and unique medical devices, developed novel procedures especially in surgery, paved the way for improved access to quality patient care, and raised awareness about issues around quality life, and continue to do so.. 

As you remember the likes of James McCune Smith, a doctor who treated both Black and white patients and still supported the abolitionists’ movement, or Dr. Rebecca Lee Crumpler who sought every opportunity to relieve the suffering of others, Ben Carson, Mae Jemison, and even our immediate former First Lady, Michelle Obama, representation matters.

Their legacies live on in clinics, hospitals, schools, doctors’ offices, research labs, politics, science and universities. 

Amplifying Black History Month, especially in the current pandemic context is paramount as we celebrate the Black folks who contributed to the health space, clearing the path for more Black people to follow in their steps.

Happy Black History Month!