
Health care activist Byllye Avery founded the Black Women’s Health Imperative after a conference at Spelman College in 1983. Originally called the National Black Women’s Health Project, the name was changed to the Imperative to reinforce the need to move beyond merely documenting the health inequities that exist for Black women and to focus on actionable steps to eliminate them. To accomplish that goal, we:
ADVOCATE
Advocate for policies that improve health outcomes for Black women and families.
EDUCATE AND TRAIN
Educate and train the next generation of leaders who will build the Black women’s health movement.
AMPLIFY
Amplify the voices of Black women to shift public perception and policies for social change.
MOBILIZE AND ENGAGE
Mobilize and engage women and organizations to pursue greater opportunities for gender and racial justice.
PROMOTE
Promote evidence and practice-based lifestyle change models that provide strategies for individuals and families to address health inequities.
SYNTHESIZE, TRANSLATE AND DISSEMINATE
Synthesize, translate and disseminate information and research findings to strengthen the knowledge base on Black women’s health.