BWLI provides translational research and innovative programmatic support and resources to communities in the deep South and across the United States to address health disparities and help Black women achieve optimal health.
BWLI works with multiple organizations across the US to support Black women’s health across the lifespan.
In Jackson, MS, BWLI works with The SHE Project on Our Stories Our Voices, a program to amplify the voices of Black women and girls by sharing empowering stories around the prevention and treatment of HIV.
We work closely with multiple partners (individuals, communities, and organizations) in Louisville, KY, on leading critical listening sessions to inform our work, including the Black Community Development Corporation, and the University of Louisville’s 550 Clinic.
We worked hand-in-hand with the U of L 550 clinic to develop “my prevention green book” based on the safe travelers green book developed from 1936-1967 as a safety resource and lifesaving tool for Black people often navigating dangerous terrains to access health care, lodging, restaurants, and other essential services while traveling in the US.
My prevention green book is a live document, updated as needed which includes safe clinical resources around HIV prevention and Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP).
In Baton Rouge, LA, BWLI has worked with Outstanding Mature Girlz (OMG Organization) to gain qualitative insights about Black women’s health. We also worked closely with the Baton Rouge YWCA and the Baton Rouge chapter of the NAACP to develop a community-informed, tested, and designed HIV Prevention + PrEP campaigns focused on Black women.
We also partner with The Well Project, P413 Productions, and the Public Health Institute at Denver Health, among others. Our community advisory board also provides critical guidance and support.
At BWLI, we empower Black women and communities to prioritize the well-being of Black women by increasing health literacy through custom resources and public health education. We regularly collaborate with community activists and influencers on social media for conversations about Black women’s health and wellness on Instagram LIVE and through podcast features.
Black women exist and attempt to thrive with intersecting identities, while navigating a healthcare system that is structurally and systemically designed to be racist, sexist, and transphobic. In April 2023, BWLI released a white paper titled “Anti-Racist Clinical Care: Improving Health Outcomes for Black Women.” This white paper contextualizes the historical and systemic discrimination Black women experience in healthcare, and proposes anti-racist clinical care as a means of achieving health equity for all, including Black women.
Through translational research, BWLI serves as a vehicle to inform the development of health programs that respect the experience and intersecting identities of Black women. BWLI conducted the Engage. Empower. Educate. survey between August and September 2021. We asked questions under key domains: health concerns, health care access, quality of healthcare, HIV & STIs, and COVID-19. The responses gathered allowed us to better understand and characterize Black women’s health and wellness and create responsive programming.
Black Women’s Learning Institute (BWLI) is a national institute at NDRI-USA, Inc., a not-for-profit research and development organization that provides high-impact actionable solutions to pressing public health problems. BWLI and NDRI-USA Inc. share a goal of building community and health practitioner relationships to bridge the gap between research and practice in public health.
At BWLI, we are committed to promoting the physical health and mental well-being of Black women across the United States. We envision a world where Black women have equitable access to public health education, and where their health and wellness needs are prioritized and celebrated at individual, interpersonal, community, and policy levels.
