April is National Minority Health Month

April is National Minority Health Month

Be the Source for Better Health

By: Christen Bourgeois Date: April 16th, 2024

Improving Health Outcomes through our Cultures, Communities & Connections

Each April, the HIPRC raises public awareness on National Minority Health Month (NMHM). This year’s NMHM theme is about understanding how the unique environments, cultures, histories, and circumstances (known as social determinants of health, or SDOH) of racial and ethnic minority and AI/AN populations, impact their overall health.

Across our nation and within our communities, it is vitally important to recognize the disproportionate burden of premature death and illness in people from racial and ethnic minority groups, and to encourage action through health education, early detection, and control of disease complications.

In 1915, Booker T. Washington, author, educator, orator, and philanthropist established National Negro Health Week in response to the growing recognition of the importance of health in ensuring the viability of the Black community and the economy in general. This eventually evolved to be National Minority Health Month.

In 2002, National Minority Health Month received support from the U.S. Congress with a concurrent resolution (H. Con. Res. 388) that “a National Minority Health and Health Disparities Month should be established to promote educational efforts on the health problems currently facing minorities and other populations experiencing health disparities.” The resolution encouraged “all health organizations and Americans to conduct appropriate programs and activities to promote healthfulness in minority and other communities experiencing health disparities.”

Today, we continue to raise awareness to the health disparities that persist among racial and ethnic minority and American Indian/Alaska Native (AI/AN) populations and encourages everyone to take action to end these inequities.

Events |

Elevate Community-Based Organizations (ECBOs) Webinar Series

This ECBO Webinar Series is a continuation of an overarching policy-driven initiative from SAMHSA’s Office of Behavioral Health Equity (OBHE) that began in 2021. See Schedule for upcoming sessions:

Session III
Thursday, April 25, 2024 / 11:00a – 12:30p (PT)
Post-workshop Q&A – Thursday, May 2, 2024 / 11:00a – 12:o0p (PT)

Session IV – Thursday, May 23 / 11:00a – 12:30p (PT)

Post-workshop Q&A – Thursday, May 30 / 11:00a – 12:o0p (PT)

Community-Based Organizations (CBOs) play an important role in serving their respective communities to maintain community morale and cohesion, build connection, and provide critical services. 

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) is hosting an ECBO Webinar Series that focuses on providing the context and tools necessary for behavioral health organizations to convey their impact and move their work to the next level through data storytelling.

Register today >>
As an attendee, you will:

  • understand the importance of data storytelling for behavioral health equity work;
  • identify data, stories, and visuals that are optimal for conveying their organizations’ work and impact;
  • learn how to make data, narratives, and visuals that are interesting and palatable to their audiences;
  • gain the tools necessary to market themselves to funders, community members, and other partners.

The event will be shared on Facebook Live. Closed Captioning (CC) will be available through Zoom.

For more events, visit the National Network to Eliminate Disparities (NNED) >>

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Resources |

For more information on Minority Health, visit:

The White House
Executive Order On Advancing Racial Equity & Support for Underserved Communities Through the Federal Government

The National Academies Press
Unequal Treatment Revisited: The Current State of Racial & Ethnic Disparities in Health Care

University of Washington
Equitable Language Guide

Urban League of Metropolitan Seattle
Public Health Programming & Services

OASH
Healthy People 2030

City of Seattle
Race & Social Justice Initiative (RSJI)

Seattle Children’s
Center for Diversity & Health Equity

Fred Hutch
Office of Community Outreach & Engagement

CDC
Be the Source of Better Health: Improving Health Outcomes Through Our Cultures, Communities & Connections
Black Health is Public Health: A Legacy of Leadership
Minority Health
Health Equity Video Series

FDA
Minority Health & Health Equity Resources

SAMHSA
Behavioral Health Equity
SOAR WORKS
Minority Fellowship Program (MFP) 
Find Help & Treatment

For more injury & violence prevention (IVP) topics affecting Minority Health, visit hiprc.org/downloadables >>


Source: The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office of Minority Health (
OMH), Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities (NIH), National Network to Eliminate Disparities (NNED)