Black Women's Health

The struggles African American women and their adolescent daughters face in living healthy, active lives

From heart disease and diabetes to HIV and obesity, Black women and girls face serious health risks, lagging behind their white counterparts by every measure of health, well-being, and fitness. In Black Women’s Health, Michele Tracy Berger shows us why this is the case, exploring how the health needs of Black women and girls are uniquely rooted in their experiences with racism, sexism, and class discrimination.

Drawing on interviews with mothers and their daughters, as well as compelling medical data, Berger provides insight into the larger patterns that place Black women at such high risk on a national level. She shows how Black mothers communicate with their daughters about health, sexuality, and intimacy, including how they attempt to promote healthy living standards even as they navigate widespread, systemic challenges.

Ultimately, Berger highlights the important role that family—and specifically, the relationship between mothers and daughters—plays in improving public health outcomes. Black Women’s Health takes a much-needed, intimate look at how Black women and girls navigate different paths to wellness.

Michele Tracy Berger is Eric and Jane Nord Family Professor and Director, Baker-Nord Center for the Humanities, Department of Religious Studies, Case Western Reserve University. She is the author of many books, including Workable Sisterhood: The Political Journey of Stigmatized Women with HIV/AIDS. She is a leading scholar in applying intersectional approaches to studying areas of inequality. This work spans the fields of public health, political science, sociology and women's and gender studies.Michele Tracy Berger is Eric and Jane Nord Family Professor and Director, Baker-Nord Center for the Humanities, Department of Religious Studies, Case Western Reserve University. She is the author of many books, including Workable Sisterhood: The Political Journey of Stigmatized Women with HIV/AIDS. She is a leading scholar in applying intersectional approaches to studying areas of inequality. This work spans the fields of public health, political science, sociology and women's and gender studies.

Cheryl L. Woods Giscombe, Melissa and Harry LeVine Family Professor of Quality of Life, Health Promotion and Wellness, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill:
Michele Tracy Berger provides an insightful and innovative approach to understanding relational and historical factors influencing health and wellbeing for Black mothers and their adolescent daughters. Through first grounding readers in intersectionality and highlighting the significance of Black women-led health initiatives, such as First Lady Michelle Obama’s Let’s Move Campaign, Berger grounds readers in the critical importance of centering Black women’s perspectives to shift the paradigm of health and wellness. She then guides the reader through her rigorous qualitative research findings, organized by the worldviews of her focus group participants. Black Women's Health appropriately highlights the multidimensional characteristics of Black mothers, daughters, as well as the strengths and challenges of their dynamic contextualized relationships. This is a must read for any individual or group committed to positively influence the lives of Black women and girls.