Initiatives
Black Health &
the Arts
COVID-19 and the Black Lives Matter movement have spotlighted the grim reality that Black people in America do not have equitable access to all that is required to fully achieve physical, mental, and social health and well-being. To address these unjust systemic challenges facing Black Americans, The Black Health and the Arts initiative partners with community-based organizations, health systems, and other stakeholders to offer accessible and tested arts-based programs to reduce illness risk factors, increase self-care for chronic health conditions, and improve overall health outcomes.
Initiatives
Black Health & the Arts
COVID-19 and the Black Lives Matter movement have spotlighted the grim reality that Black people in America do not have equitable access to all that is required to fully achieve physical, mental, and social health and well-being. To address these unjust systemic challenges facing Black Americans, The Black Health and the Arts initiative partners with community-based organizations, health systems, and other stakeholders to offer accessible and tested arts-based programs to reduce illness risk factors, increase self-care for chronic health conditions, and improve overall health outcomes.
Public Health Challenge
“Of all the forms of inequality, injustice in health is the most shocking and the most inhuman.” — Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr
Decades of race-based inequities in the U.S. have created significant health challenges for Black people, leading to higher rates of illness and increased risk of early death.
Short Film of Black Health & the Arts
Through our UnLonely Film Festival, we collect short films to represent the lived experiences of loneliness in America.
COVID-19 Vulnerability
Black people face the highest COVID-19 mortality rates. While only 12% of the U.S. general population, they comprise 22% of COVID-19 deaths, making their death rate 2.1x higher.
Mental Health Burden
The mental well-being of Black adults in America is at a concerning low, with one in four Black adults in America reporting feelings of anxiety, due in part to the disproportionate impact from COVID-19 as well as the systemic racism and violence.
Chronic Illness Susceptibility
Major health conditions such as diabetes, high blood pressure, obesity, depression, and impaired maternal health disproportionately affect Black communities.
Program Solutions
Through our evidence-based programs, we aim to reduce barriers to supportive services, increase access to health opportunities, and enhance pro-health behaviors that improve health outcomes for Black adults.
Share Creatively
Grappling with complex health conditions is extremely difficult, often fraught with challenging negative emotions of guilt and shame. Arts-enabled programs provide powerful opportunities for self-reflection, increased self-awareness, and to share personal thoughts with others.
Develop Confidence
Arts engagement works as a catalyst to empower participants by building self-sufficiency and improving confidence for sustaining positive behavior change.
Connect With Others
Facilitating group interaction is a cornerstone to our programs because community networks are vital to emotional connection, which is of particular importance for those with disenfranchised identities.
Our Partners and Progress
Our Sponsors
This initiative is still in development and we are actively seeking sponsors and partners to help bring this work to life.
Our Community Partners
We welcome requests from community-based organizations that are interested in getting involved.
“This program helps you emotionally, mentally, physically – helps you see you are not alone”
– Lloyd, 53
“It helped me a helluva lot – and you can quote me on that. It helped me understand my with diabetes, not just the diabetes.”
– Carol, 56
Explore More
Explore Our Programs
Read about our evidence-based programs that support this initiative by building community health and well-being among Black adults.
Sponsor this Initiative
Join us and our current sponsors to help expand this important work and increase the impact we are able to deliver across communities.