Mental health is inseparable from Black health because wellness isn’t just about the body — it’s about the mind’s resilience in the face of systemic pressures, generational burdens, and the daily navigation of environments that often test one’s sense of self. When mental health is neglected, the entire spectrum of well-being suffers: physical vitality, family stability, community strength, and even cultural continuity. Prioritizing mental health is therefore not a luxury but a necessity — a reclamation of balance, dignity, and possibility. In essence, caring for the mind is a direct investment in the survival, growth, and thriving of Black life.
Empowering Communities with Information
We engage our communities through culturally responsive, accessible health information and resources that are tailored to the unique needs of those we serve. From community outreach and awareness building events to social marketing campaigns and webinars, we equip individuals and families with the knowledge they need to make confident, informed decisions around their health.
Raising Voices, Centering Community Needs, Creating Change
We work alongside the communities we serve to amplify their voices and elevate their experiences. Through community mobilization, coalition building, and storytelling, we challenge systems that perpetuate disparities and promote health equity. We nurture individuals to become agents of change—advocates for their communities and champions of their own well-being—ensuring that those with lived experience are at the center of the conversation.
Shaping Systems that Drive Equity
Our policy efforts focus on advancing laws, regulations, and funding decisions that address the root causes of health disparities. We collaborate with key stakeholders, including policymakers, researchers, community leaders, and individuals who are most impacted to design and champion policies that promote long-term health equity, protect rights, and dismantle structural barriers to care.
The National Black Leadership Commission on Health is a not-for-profit organization that centers the health of Black and Brown communities across the United States.
Our work is a tangible response to the current and ongoing multifaceted Black health crisis. Our focus is to address the historic and present failings of the US health system to prioritize high quality, equitable and culturally relevant health care to historically overlooked and medically neglected communities. Black Health addresses all aspects of public health and healthcare systems to providers and government regulations by focusing on education, advocacy and policy.
Originally founded in 1987, to address the AIDS crisis facing Black communities, our work has expanded with the goal of comprehensive health promotion and disease prevention through education, advocacy and health policy.
