Welcome from President & CEO

Linda Goler Blount, MPH President & CEO Black Women’s Health Imperative

Dear Friends,

Over the past four decades, the Black Women’s Health Imperative has been the only national organization dedicated solely to improving health and wellness for our nation’s 21 million Black women and girls. This sobering realization has led me to consider an essential question: What if BWHI did not exist? What if we never pioneered essential research and programming? Who would have safeguarded critical health policies?

Our world would simply not be the same had BWHI not endured, and Black women would have borne the brunt of that reality. Many of the laws we take for granted today would not be in effect—ones that guarantee access to quality maternal healthcare, lifesaving health screenings, and abortion care, and laws that ensure participation in clinical research and access to treatments for rare diseases. Communities would have gone without critical investments in diabetes and tobacco prevention and access to HIV testing. Black women would not have had someone to turn to for help in translating the complicated and often confusing health information necessary to live a healthy, full life.

It is unfathomable to consider what we would have lost as a society and community without the work of BWHI over the past nearly 40 years. It is equally unacceptable to consider what the next four decades would look like without achieving health equity. As an epidemiologist who has studied inequalities in health for more than 25 years, I know a socially just society is necessary for Black women and girls to enjoy optimal health and well-being. Without this, our children and grandchildren will not enjoy the long, healthy lifespans they deserve. And as a mother and Umi to my grandchildren, I know what is at stake if we are not successful.

As I write this letter, Ketanji Brown Jackson has been confirmed as the first Black woman to serve on the U.S. Supreme Court. It is a momentous occasion and significant milestone on the path toward equal justice under the law that we deserve. But I caution those who falsely believe that this lessens the urgency and critical need for continued advancement of Black women’s needs and rights. Now, more than ever, we must demand structural and political change.

Since I joined BWHI nearly a decade ago, we have evolved into a $20 million organization that combines science, advocacy, and action to eliminate barriers to wellness for Black women. At the center of everything we do is a focus on evidence-based decision-making aimed at transforming systems and policies so Black women can enjoy the same health

benefits as their counterparts. And while advocacy for health-promoting policies remains foundational to our mission, we are shifting our advocacy into action — an action that is informed by research-backed strategies intended to drive change in systems, policies, and healthcare behavior across society. We cannot continue to do the same thing and expect different results.

Achieving health equity would have a $250 billion net positive impact on the U.S. economy. Black women’s health is not—nor has it ever been—only a Black women’s issue. That is why our success and the health of every Black woman in America are predicated on holding the people and organizations accountable with their hands on the levers of power, and bringing together our stakeholders to help them see their role in solving the systemic issues impacting our community. We are reminding corporations with our BWHI Fair Work Initiative of their responsibility to act, sharing our researchbacked strategies that will help them drive actual change, and making clear consequences for those who continue to embrace the harmful status quo that brought us to this point. This year, please consider joining us and supporting our calling to realize the promise of health equity and uplift Black women and girls. Our mission has never been more critical than now, as our community is facing new barriers to achieving health and well-being in the era of COVID-19. Together, we can successfully target the most pressing health issues impacting our community through investments in evidence-based strategies, bold programs, and new policies.

There are nearly 21 million Black women and girls counting on us. That’s 21 million reasons why we cannot fail. Join us on the path to equity and a healthier, brighter tomorrow.

Sincerely,

Linda Goler Blount, MPH President & CEO Black Women’s Health Imperative • 40 Years of Improving

Health Outcomes for Black

Women and Girls • Revenue of $20M • Q1 donations of $10M • Recognized as Center of Excellence to provide

Capacity-Building Training • Achieving health equity would have a $250 billion net positive impact on the U.S. economy • 21 million Black women and girls counting on US