Bellack Library wants to make sure that, as health professions students, you have access to reputable resources to help provide the best care to your future patients, colleagues, and yourself.
When we think of the Black/African American patients and practitioners, we need to remember that this is not a single monolithic community. As defined by the DePaul University’s Center for Black Diaspora, the African & Black Diaspora refers to the “voluntary and involuntary movement of Africans and their descendants to various parts of the world during the modern and pre-modern periods.” (Center for Black Diaspora - DePaul University, n.d.) People included under this umbrella may have Caribbean, African, or African American ancestries. Immigrants will likely have a different lived experiences that may impact their health differently than those born in the United States. For example, patients whose native language is something other than English will likely require resources in their native language to better ensure their compliance with medical treatment (Anderson et al., 2003).
We know that being culturally competent, effective, or practicing cultural humility is important for improved health outcomes (Handtke et al., 2019). Studies have found that the “perceived cultural competency affected the degree of trust and collaboration within the services network when addressing the needs of recent immigrant families. Competence trust toward other providers increased the desire and commitment to work together, while lack of competence trust created avoidance. (Isaacs et al., 2013).”
Some of the more prominent health inequities faced by these communities include:
This guide contains resources to help you make educated decisions regarding a variety of topics that influence the health of the wide range of Black/African American communities. The guide is broken up into 4 main sections: an introduction to the topic, resources for Black/African American students and practitioners, resources for caring for Black/African American patients, and helpful research tools.
In this guide, you will find:
Please explore the resources in this guide and reach out to us through Ask a Librarian if you have any questions or would like further assistance.
Building Health Coalitions in the Black Community by 
Health Issues in the Black Community by 
Historically Black Phrases by 
Just Medicine: a cure for racial inequality in American health care by 
The Path We Tread: Blacks in Nursing Worldwide, 1854-1994 by 
Taking Care of Our Own: A Black American's Guide to Family Medicine by 
The Unapologetic Guide to Black Mental Health by 
Young, Gifted, and Black by 
Black Angels: The Untold Story of the Nurses Who Helped Cure Tuberculosis by 
American Sirens: The Incredible Story of the Black Men Who Became America’s First Paramedics by We know leisure or recreational reading is important for students. We know that reading can help reduce psychological distress in college students (Levine et al., 2022; Viqar et al., 2018; Watson, 2015). But we also know that time constraints can be a problem that makes it hard to take time to read. For those of you who have time (or maybe you’re on break?), Boston Public Library offers free library eCards for MA residents (and for those living in MA while attending school in-state or who work for a MA employer). These free eCards allow you to access their online resources (which includes large collection of eBooks/AudioBooks/and more from OverDrive and Hoopla).
While we’re here, we wanted to also point out that BPL have a ton of relevant staff-curated reading lists that may be of interest to you:
