Medicine & the Black Mind – Part 1
Summary
- Black mental and emotional health cannot be separated from history. The trauma of slavery, Jim Crow, and structural racism isn’t ancient—it lives within living memory and continues to shape stress, identity, and overall health today.
- Healing requires unlearning. Much of the harm comes from internalized beliefs—negative narratives about Black identity, worth, and possibility. One of the strongest tools is the ability to unlearn false ideas and rebuild a healthy sense of self.
- Medical care must address the mind, not just the body. Modern medicine often treats symptoms without recognizing the social, historical, and emotional forces driving chronic stress, hypertension, diabetes, and burnout in Black communities.
