On the last day of Black History Month, Tuesday, Feb. 28, Baptist Health Sciences University faculty, staff and students hosted “Health Equity: Women’s Health,” an event that took a historical and current look at African American women’s health and examined the root causes of health inequities in this group. Participants identified methods that instructors, teachers and health care providers could use to increase equity in women’s health.
“We (health care workers) have a responsibility to close the gap with knowledge. I want the audience to walk away with a call to action,” said Professor Kira Anderson.
The event opened with Dr. Roderick Johnson singing Sam Cooke’s song, “A Change is Gonna Come,” followed by Professor Anderson thanking faculty, staff and student participants for their contributions.
Students and faculty coaches worked together to cover several topics: women’s health, reproductive health and contraception, maternal health, infant mortality and sexually transmitted infections. The presenters covered each topic through historical and contemporary events that have an impact on women’s health.
The student coach provided a brief synopsis of the presentation followed by the student presenters providing historical facts and information about figures related to each topic. Historical figures and studies that were discussed included Dr. J. Marion Sims, Margaret Sanger, Henrietta Lacks, Dr. May Edward Chinn and the Tuskegee Syphilis Study. Presenters also offered current statistics and discussed disparities in African American women’s health outcomes.
Professor Anderson said, “The goal was to walk through history looking at pivotal events, noting the fact that nothing that happened was happenstance. This event was about linking history to the current, celebrating Black women’s contributions and, at the same time, acknowledging the adversities that were faced.”
After a brief intermission, Dr. Elizabeth Williams introduced Eli Cloud, cofounder and CEO of Sister Supply, a non-profit organization in Memphis that provides menstrual products to schools, shelters and organizations in the city. Cloud spoke about period poverty within not only the homeless community, but also among school-aged girls. Cloud ended her remarks by thanking event participants for donating menstrual products to the organization.
Health care providers and Baptist Health Sciences University faculty participated in an interactive panel discussion, moderated by a student. Panel members answered audience questions related to the presentations and offered insights from medical, nursing, ethics, anthropological, sociological and public health perspectives.
Dr. Williams closed the event by leading the audience in singing the “Black National Anthem,” James Weldon Johnson and J. Rosamond Johnson’s hymn, “Lift Every Voice and Sing.”
Thank you to everyone who worked so hard to make this event a success!
Student Contributors
- Desiree Armstrong (Respiratory Care)
- Erin Dabney (Respiratory Care)
- Kayla Franks (Nursing)
- Paige Gray (Nursing)
- Tayler Hammonds (Nursing)
- Amber Harper (Nursing)
- Cassie Nielson (Respiratory Care)
- Charmelle Trice (Nursing)
- Lyric VanHooks (Nursing)
Faculty and Staff Contributors
- Professor Ivy Anderson (Division of Nursing)
- Dr. Beth Choby (proposed College of Osteopathic Medicine)
- Dr. Cameron Conn (proposed College of Osteopathic Medicine)
- Dr. Angie Crow (Division of Nursing)
- Professor Abby Johnston (Division of General Education and Health Sciences)
- Dr. Seraphine Lambert (Division of Nursing)
- Dr. Michelle McDonald (Division of General Education and Health Sciences)
Planning Committee
- Professor Kira Anderson (Division of Allied Health)
- Dr. Cathy Stepter (Division of Nursing)
- Dr. Elizabeth Williams (Division of Allied Health)
- Professor Michelle Alexander (Division of General Education and Health Sciences)
- Dr. Cheryl Johnson-Joy (Division of Nursing)
- Dr. Roderick Johnson (Financial Aid)
