President's Message
Eleanor A. Walker, PhD, RN
Welcome to the National Historically Black
Colleges and Universities (HBCU) Research Network for Health Services and Health
Disparities web page. The Network is
a nonprofit professional organization of researchers and faculty from HBCUs
committed to reducing health disparities among African Americans through
research and educational outreach activities.
It is well known that the health of African Americans has lagged behind
that of the majority population since the beginning of our journey to the
Americas
. Health disparities are not new.
W. E. B. DuBois edited The Health and Physique of the Negro American
in 1904 and Booker T. Washington wrote about the poor health of status of
Negroes in 1914. Without action,
health disparities will continue to devastate African Americans.
As the
Institute
of
Medicine
reported, discrimination in the health care system is no respecter of income or
social status. African Americans
receive care that is ‘less than’, regardless of educational level, access to
or ability to pay for services.
HBCUs hold a significant presence in the legacy of the African American
experience. Faculty and researchers
from HBCUs have maintained and nurtured linkages and partnerships with the
institutions and people in the African American communities where they are
located. Those connections are
longstanding and existed prior to the current emphasis on partnerships.
HBCU faculty and researchers are the secret weapon in the war to
eliminate health disparities. We
have the knowledge, expertise and commitment to change behaviors.
We are capable of defining the research problem from a culturally
normative perspective and interpret findings based on African American norms and
values.
Through membership in The Network, you will have access to information
about funding opportunities and policy information.
You will be able to interact with other HBCU investigators who have
similar interests, present your research findings to national audiences, and
participate in multi-site research and educational outreach projects.
It is time to combine our collective talents and expertise to intervene
and stop the escalation of morbidity and mortality from preventable diseases in
the African American community.
I invite you to join The Network to broaden our reach and strengthen our
voice as we work to improve the health of African Americans.
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