Call to Action During National Minority Health Month 2025: Part 1
National Minority Health Month (NMHM) is observed every April in the United States. Its purpose is to raise awareness about the health disparities that continue to affect underrepresented populations.
The observance of NMHM encourages health education, community outreach, and policy advocacy aimed at promoting equity in healthcare access and outcomes. This observance has grown in significance — especially in light of persistent and, in some cases, increasing health disparities that disproportionately impact Native Americans, Alaskan Natives, African Americans, Hispanics, Pacific Islanders and Asian Americans.
NMHM is particularly vital in the current political and social environment where economic instability, increasing levels of poverty, and political polarization threaten the gains made in improving population health — especially among historically underrepresented populations. More importantly, local communities have an important role in shaping health outcomes by focusing on three key social determinants of health: housing, jobs, and transportation.
Origins of National Minority Health Month
The observance dates back to 1915, when Booker T. Washington originally called for the National Negro Health Week. Mr. Washington, who was a prominent African American educator and leader, believed that “without health and long life, all else fails.” National Negro Health Week was designed to engage the African American community in efforts to improve hygiene, reduce disease, and increase access to medical care. The initiative continued to expand and evolve. Eventually, this focus achieved federal recognition in 2002 when the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services formally established National Minority Health Month through its Office of Minority Health.
While Mr. Washington is celebrated for his role in initiating public health campaigns targeting African Americans, his legacy is also the subject of critical analysis. The most concise view is that Mr. Washington’s philosophy aligned with an “accommodationist” stance—one that encouraged African Americans to accept segregation and disenfranchisement in exchange for limited economic opportunities and self-help (Kendi, 2016). The main criticism is that this approach reinforced systemic racism by failing to challenge structural policies.
Those who oppose accommodationism call for structural solutions and transformative policy changes. In the context of public health, this approach calls for broader societal and economic structures that produce and sustain solutions for persistent health disparities such high rates of under- and unemployment through training and opportunities to access higher income positions with a career path; and higher maternal morbidity among African American women compared to white populations. Thus, while National Negro Health Week historically helped raised awareness of problems, the work in 2025 is to focus on structural changes that will eliminate health disparities.
Health Disparities in Minority Populations
Health disparities persist across certain groups in the U.S. because of structural factors manifested as poverty, limited access to healthcare, environmental hazards, and systemic discrimination. These disparities are persistent and worsening in communities hardest hit by natural disasters and economic collapses — especially in marginalized communities living in both urban and rural settings.
Native Americans and Alaska Natives face some of the highest rates of chronic diseases such as diabetes, heart disease, and certain cancers. For example, diabetes prevalence among American Indian and Alaska Native adults is more than double that of non-Hispanic whites (Indian Health Services, 2022).
African Americans experience higher rates of hypertension, stroke, and heart disease. The maternal mortality rate for African American women is nearly three times higher than that of white women (CDC, 2023). Structural barriers — including healthcare provider bias and unequal insurance coverage — continue to limit access to quality healthcare. Discriminatory housing policies and economic marginalization exacerbate these challenges.
Hispanic populations have elevated risks for diabetes and obesity and are less likely to have health insurance. Language barriers and today’s heightened immigration status concerns can deter individuals from seeking care. Farmworkers and others in low-wage and high-risk jobs often face occupational health hazards and limited workplace protections.
Disparities in Behavioral Health
Behavioral health — especially correlated with suicide — is an emerging concern within African American communities. While suicide rates among African American men have historically been lower than those of other groups, recent data indicate a troubling rise—particularly in urban centers such as Cleveland.
Findings from The Center’s Social Determinants of Health (SDoH) Innovation Hub reveal that firearm suicides are a significant contributor to this trend (The Center, 2023). The availability of firearms, coupled with lack of transportation, housing insecurity, unemployment, and untreated trauma, are driving factors. Suicide prevention strategies in African American communities must, therefore, integrate behavioral health services with economic opportunity initiatives such as access to well-paying jobs, access to affordable housing, and proximity to public transportation.
Also important to note, in other geographic areas, suicide rates are significantly higher in American Indian and Alaska Native populations — particularly among youth. Geographic isolation contributes to reduced access to healthcare services with many tribal areas lacking access to specialty care or comprehensive mental health services — even if telehealth capabilities are possible, they may be unavailable due to lack of home internet access.
Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPIs) are often perceived as a “model minority” because the prevailing stereotype is that this population successfully achieves the “American dream” of working hard and becoming wealthy. This is a myth because AAPI communities are highly diverse. Yet, aggregated data of this population can obscure disparities. For example, Southeast Asian and Pacific Islander groups experience elevated rates of hepatitis B, diabetes, and behavioral health challenges. Stigma and cultural taboos around behavioral health contribute to low utilization of related services (Office of Minority Health, 2023).
So, what can and should be done? Next week, we explore community-based solutions to address and eliminate these and other disparities.
References
The Center for Health Affairs. (2023). Firearm Suicide among Cleveland residents: A review of the data from 2017 - 2022.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2023). Health Disparities. https://www.cdc.gov/healthyyouth/disparities/index.htm
Indian Health Service. (2022). Disparities. https://www.ihs.gov/newsroom/factsheets/disparities/
Kendi, I. X. (2016). Stamped from the beginning: The definitive history of racist ideas in America. Nation Books.
Office of Minority Health. (2023). Minority Population Profiles. https://minorityhealth.hhs.gov/
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Minority Health. (2023). National Minority Health Month. https://www.minorityhealth.hhs.gov
