Black Women

4 Astounding Facts About the First Black Woman Doctor in the US

By Ginnefine Jalloh | Feb 24, 2022 | Comments Off on 4 Astounding Facts About the First Black Woman Doctor in the US

That woman was Rebecca Lee Crumpler. Living from 1830 – 1895, Rebecca was a nurse, physician and lauded medical author.

Juneteenth: A Time to Celebrate, Reflect, and, Ultimately, Act

By Adele Costa | Jun 16, 2021 | Comments Off on Juneteenth: A Time to Celebrate, Reflect, and, Ultimately, Act

On June 19th, 1865, enslaved Black people in Galveston, Texas gathered at the Ashton Villa to learn their fate. Union General Gordon and over 2,000 federal troops had just occupied the territory, and there were rumors surging that the Civil War was over.

Congressional Hearing — The Disproportionate Impact of COVID-19 on Communities of Color

By M. Isabelle Chaudry | Jun 17, 2020 | Comments Off on Congressional Hearing — The Disproportionate Impact of COVID-19 on Communities of Color

Statement from M. Isabelle Chaudry, Esq., Senior Policy Manager, National Women’s Health Network: House Ways and Means Committee

What Do Racial Health Disparities Look Like During the COVID-19 Pandemic?

By NWHN Staff | Jun 11, 2020 | Comments Off on What Do Racial Health Disparities Look Like During the COVID-19 Pandemic?

According to the CDC, the disproportionate burden of coronavirus felt by communities of color can be attributed to numerous structural factors. Such factors include, but are not limited to: working conditions for essential workers, a lack of paid sick leave, and uninsurance. About a quarter of the Latinx and Black populations in the United States are employed in the service industry, compared to 16% of the White population.

The NWHN’s Statement in Support of Racial Justice and Black Lives Matter 

By Evita Almassi | Jun 2, 2020 | Comments Off on The NWHN’s Statement in Support of Racial Justice and Black Lives Matter 

Contact: Evita Almassi, ealmassi@nwhn.org or (202) 682-6240

Rx for Change: Skin Lightening

By NWHN Staff | Feb 26, 2020 | Comments Off on Rx for Change: Skin Lightening

Skin lightening — also called skin whitening or skin bleaching — is the practice of using cosmetics to either reduce the appearance of age spots and/or discoloration or to change one’s natural complexion.[1] Skin lightening cosmetics include bleaching creams, soaps, and pills that contain compounds designed to inhibit melanin production and thereby lighten skin.[2]

A Tale of Two Worlds: Fighting for Safe Cosmetics as Both a Women’s Health Advocate and a Makeup Artist

By Kalena Murphy | Oct 17, 2019 | Comments Off on A Tale of Two Worlds: Fighting for Safe Cosmetics as Both a Women’s Health Advocate and a Makeup Artist

Did my adolescent personal care practices affect my reproductive health? Harsh realities still exist in today’s highly unregulated beauty industry.

Harmful Chemicals in Personal Care and Cosmetic Products Lead to Negative Health Outcomes for Women 

By M. Isabelle Chaudry | Aug 16, 2019 | Comments Off on Harmful Chemicals in Personal Care and Cosmetic Products Lead to Negative Health Outcomes for Women 

Personal care products vary in many ways including who they are made for and marketed to, such as hair products. One factor, however, that isn’t highlighted enough in discussions around closing these disparities is the health outcomes related to the actual chemicals in products that Black women use, which have been linked to various health issues and premature death!

Unregulated Cosmetics, Eurocentric Beauty Standards, and the Effect on Black Women’s Health

By M. Isabelle Chaudry | Jun 26, 2019 | Comments Off on Unregulated Cosmetics, Eurocentric Beauty Standards, and the Effect on Black Women’s Health

Cosmetic manufacturers have a legal responsibility for the safety and labeling of their products, but many cosmetic products marketed and sold in the U.S contain toxic chemicals. These unsafe, unregulated products pose unique risks to Black women.

Protecting and Expanding Medicaid Means Confronting Racism Baked into the Program

By Cindy Pearson | Apr 3, 2019 | Comments Off on Protecting and Expanding Medicaid Means Confronting Racism Baked into the Program

Why is getting covered through Medicaid so much harder than Medicare? There are lots of superficial answers but, at heart, the answer is “racism.”