Who cares for Black women in health and health care: Reimagining the strong Black woman trope to advance Black women's health equity

Abstract

This editorial serves as an interpretive synthesis of the special collection, Who Cares for Black Women in Health and Health Care, featured in Women's Health. The key objectives of the collection were to (1) explore the experiences of Black women healthcare educators and providers to promote well-being and retention among this group of key stakeholders in population health and to (2) uncover barriers to care that perpetuate health disparities among Black women at large. Upon reviewing and synthesizing the articles included in the collection, the Strong Black Woman trope emerged as a key barrier to health and health care. The essentialist approach to Black women's strength leaves them prioritizing care for others over care for self, subject to perceptions of them as intimidating and able to take on exorbitant workloads, and boxed in emotionally which manifests stress, anxiety, and other chronic illnesses. The way forward for Black women comes with reimaging strength. Specifically, it should include health-related autonomy, collective accountability, and the creation of inclusive spaces.

Keywords: Black women’s health; health disparities; patient-provider interactions; strong Black woman.