NNLM AoU Community Award: Minds Matter: Eliminating Healthcare Stigma

Black Girl Health Foundation’s “Minds Matter: Eliminating Healthcare Stigma” is a program in partnership with community libraries that are designed to reach out to women of color in urban communities and educate them about mental health and mental health resources. Black Girl Health Foundation (BGHF) has already hosted successful Minds Matter events in the following cities in 2021; Harrisburg, New Orleans, Washington D.C., and Houston. During Black History Month (February 2022) Black Girl Health Foundation will return to Washington D.C. and pilot in St Louis, MI to host Minds Matter: Eliminating Healthcare Stigma. During the month of February, Black History Month pays tribute to the generations of African Americans who have contributed to American society while striving for equality. A long history of discrimination within the healthcare system leads to a lingering fear of professionals in the medical field within the African American community . During the month of February, Black Girl Health Foundation is partnering with
St. Louis Public Library and Louis Stokes Health Sciences Library at Howard University will work within the undeserved African American community to expand on health literacy and stigmatism within the healthcare
field. BGHF Minds Matter is a series of digital and in-person workshops; a video/streaming event will air LIVE on social media via Facebook Page, and within the library's facilities. Workshops will be planned by a BGHF College Ambassador with the focus on educating participants about health literacy and stigma using the National Library Medical (NLM) and All of US resources