In Celebration of Black Health and Wellness

Hello Modern Path friends and family,

I am so honored to be writing our 2022 Black History Month Blog Post!

First, I’d like to invite you to reflect back to last year's post covering the history of Black History month. With special attention to the ways you can celebrate and learn about Black History Month without asking your Black friends, family, or colleagues to teach you.

Now that you are refreshed, you may be interested in this year’s theme from the Founders of Black History Month, the Association for the Study of African American Life and History (ASALH).

“This year’s theme for Black History Month is Black Health and Wellness. ASALH has celebrated Negro History Week and Black History Month for ninety-five years and rarely has one of its themes for the annual celebrations been more appropriate and timely.”

- Dr. W. Marvin Delany, President of ASALH

The relevancy of this year’s theme is clear after several years of struggle through COVID-19.

Particularly because the Black Community has been disproportionately affected by the virus, more than any other group of Americans.

Because Black: Disabled, Queer, Trans, Houseless, and formerly or currently incarcerated Black people have been devastated by the magnification of systemic inequalities during this pandemic.

Because we cannot talk about health and wellness without acknowledging the history of exclusion of Black people from medical research and practice, and the history of enslaved people inhumanely used in the development of medical fields.

And we cannot talk about health and wellness without celebrating the medical and scientific contributions of the African American community.

I’m talking about contributions from people such as, James Mccune Smith (first African American to earn medical degree), Henrietta Lacks (her cells are the source for some of the most invaluable medical data present today), Dr. Daniel Hale Williams (performed the first successful heart surgery), Dr. Marilyn Hughes Gaston (first director of the bureau of health), Dr. Charles Drew (pioneer in preservation of blood plasma), Dr. Patricia Era Bath (inventor of laser cataract surgery), or Dr. Kizzmekia Corbett (Scientific Lead for Coronavirus Vaccines).

This year’s theme was not only created to honor the legacy of Black Health and Wellness, but to highlight the current community and celebrate health and wellness across the African diaspora.

In celebration of Black Health and Wellness, here is a (non-exhaustive) list of therapists, social workers, doctors, researchers, doulas, grief practitioners, sex educators, writers, non-profits, social justice warriors, and healers who are all wonderful and current examples of Black representation, joy, and advocacy in the field of healthcare and wellness.

Please join us in supporting and honoring Black Health and Wellness this Black History Month.

Resources Celebrating Black Health and Wellness (with their Instagram tags):

Melanated and Misunderstood (@melanatedandmisunderstood) - destigmatizing mental health & liberating Black minds
Transformation Shoppe, LLC (@transformationshoppe) - Therapist | Health and Wellness Consultant
Dr. Lexx James
https://twitter.com/DirtyLola/ Dirty Lola
Goody Howard
Atlanta School of Tantra, Amina Peterson
https://www.ebonydowdy.com/
https://www.instagram.com/tantrablue Tsani Merriweather
https://www.marlareneestewart.com/
The Victorious Counselor (@thevictoriouscounselor) - helping women of color heal
Faith Works Coaching (@faithworkscoaching) - helping individuals navigate life challenges - marriage, divorce, coparenting, and LGBTQ Teens
Lucia The Doula (@luciathedoula) - Queer Black biracial full spectrum doula aming to serve queer, trans non-nonbinary Black people, indigenous folks, and people of color with abortion, pregnancy loss, pregnancy, birth, and postpartum
Imani Barbarin (@crutches_and_spice) - Comms Director, Disability Blogger, Content Creator, Public Speaker, Model, Actress
Dr. Shanéa Thomas (@drkchocolatenoir) - Professor, Social Worker, Strategic Planner, Twerker
Ignacio G Hutía Xeiti Rivera (@blkbrownred) - Gender Fluid, BLatinx, Indígena, Healer, Artist, Queer, Sober, Surviging (C)SA, Chronic Migraner, Life Ponderer, Mama, and Abueli
Dr. Nick (word2drnick) - co-conspirator to Black + Brown LGBTQ+ Gender Expansive creatives taking up SPACE
Headscarves and Healing (@headscarvesandhealing) - When we heal ourselves, we heal our community
House of Tulip (@houseoftulipno) - Trans United Leading Intersectional Progress
The Okra Project (@theokraproject) - Collective seeking to address global crisis of violence by providing resources and meals to Black Trans people worldwide
BodiPosiPoet (@bodiposipoet) - Creator of @reclaimingbopo, a community space for reclaiming body positivity as a sociopolitical movement, centering the most marginalized bodies
Living Free Ashley (@livingfreedaily) - Mental Health Advocate and Speaker - MPH
Depressed While Black (@depressedwhileblack) - community space providing Black-affirming personal care items to psychiatric patients and connecting people to Black Therapists
Black Girls Smile Inc, (@blackgirlssmile) - Leading non-profit dedicated to empowering the mental health of Black girls and young women
The Black Mental Health Guy, Julius Boatwright (@theblackmentalhealthguy) - being my most authentic self <3
Dr. Alfiee (@dralfiee) - I make complex, scientific mental health concepts E-Z
Healing While Black (@healingwhileblack) - Josh Odam, blogger
Drk Beauty Healing (@drkbeautyhealing) - Our mission is to support women and nonbinary people of color to explore, discover, and create their healing journey
Melanated Social Work (@melanatedsocialwork) - official melanated social work page
Joi the Astrologer (@starsofjoi) - Black, Queer Nomad - liberation, joy, astrology, fluidity
Sean Saifa Wall (@saifaemerges) - I am an intersex activist, visual artist, and believe that another world is possible
Therapy for Black Kids (@therapyforblackkids) - Aiming to support Black parents in raising healthy kids in the 21st century. Founded by @drearlturner
Dr Erlanger “Earl” Turner (@drearlturner) - Author, Mental Health Among Kids Founder
The Grave Woman (@thegravewoman) - Sacred Death & Grief Care Practitioner, Course Creator and Educator, Licensed Funeral Director and Embalmer, Insurance Agent and Preplanning Specialist
Marla Renee Stewart (@1marlastewart) - Sexologist, Author, Educator
Finding Our Way Podcast (@findingourwaypodcast) - Podcast by Prentis Hemphill
Prentis Hemphill (@prentishemphill) - Embodiment Practitioner and Writer
Sha (@5hahem) - Therapist, Queer Hoodrat, Work in Progress
Goddess Amina (@atltantra) - SexDoula, Tantra Practitioner, Intimacy Guide, Somatic Bodyworker, Sacred Sex Worker, Heaus Mentor
J Mase III (@jmaseiii) - Poet and Educator
Ilya Parker (@decolonizing_fitness) - Physical Therapist Assistant, Medical Exercise Specialist, Educator
Sandra: ND Coach and Consultant (@nd.narratives) - Writer, Podcaster, Teacher, Consultant, Adoptee, Mama, Neurodivergence, and Intersectionality
Ashlee Marie Preston (@ashleemariepreston) - Healing People and Our Planet
Jennie Joseph (@iamjenniejoseph) - Speaker, Author, Trainer, Midwife, Advocate, and Founder/President of Commonsense Childbirth Inc
Tasha (@realtalk.therapist) - Therapist, Creator, Educator
Tiffany (@fidgets.and.fries) - writer, disrupting supremacist systems one story at a time
Jen White Johnson (@jtknoxroxs) - Disabled AfroLatina, Neurodivergent Mama, Artist, Designer, Educator for Disability Culture and Justice
Jacquelyn (@ogorchukwuu) - Racial Wellness Expert
The Cognitive Corner (@thecognitivecorner) - Helping you make sense of your trauma
Black and Embodied (@blackandembodied) - Alishia McCullough, Licesned Metal Health Therapist, Social Justice Warrior, Body Liberation and Racial Healing, Author, Cofounder of #AmplifyMelanatedVoices
K (toyin) Abgebiyi (@shaebutterfemme) - writer/reader, MSW, disabled abolitionist survivor
Dr. Thema (@dr.thema) - Minister, Psychologist, Dancer, Homecoming Podcast Host, APA president Elect
Black Men With Gardens (@blackmenwithgardens) - A community of fathers, sons, uncles, and brothers with love for plants and unique stories to share
Minaa B (@minaa_b) - Therapist and Wellness Coach
Megha Watson (@thrive_withmeg) - Writing words for understanding your feelings and showing up as your whole self
Nina Westbrook (@ninewestbrook) - Trained Marriage and Family Therapist
Ev’Yan Whitney (@evyan.whitney) - Sexuality Doula, Sex educator, Sensualist
Sonya Renee Taylor (@sonyareneetaylor) - NYT Bestselling Author and founder of @thebodyisnotanapology committed to radical self-love as a path to liberation
Ericka Hart (@ihartericka) - Sex Educatot, Racial/Social/Gender Justice Disruptor, Writer, Breast Cancer Survivor, Model, Podcast: Hoodrat to Headwrap
Melanin and Mental Health (@melaninandmentalhealth) - Promoting mental wellness of Black/Latinx people