Healthy Environments Across Generations: Improving Black Women's Health Towards Improving the Health of All Communities

The “Healthy Environments Across Generations” 'un-conference' held at the New York Academy of Medicine in June 2012 underscored what those working on social and environmental justice have known for decades: We have to consider the influences of every environment--including the food, natural, built, chemical, socio-economic and psychosocial—-on health across the lifespan. Statistically Black women's health is among the poorest in the nation. Many live in substandard housing in violent, polluted neighborhoods without access to healthy food or healthcare. In order to substantively improve their health, we need to focus on upstream, system-wide, intergenerational interventions that can positively impact multiple environments simultaneously. By prioritizing the health of Black women and girls, not only will their individual health status benefit, but the health of whole communities in every neighborhood across the country. This presentation will highlight how the creative ideas that emerged at the 'un-conference' are being incorporated into innovative initiatives that address these concerns.