Epidemics are not just about the bacteria and viruses that coexist with us; they also reflect the social divisions that push some people to the margins of society. Whether it is the HIV/AIDS epidemic in Black American communities or the high incidence of maternal mortality for Black people, we have to reckon with how histories and legacies of inequality create the phenomenon of premature death. This talk addresses these inequalities as it relates to sexual and reproductive health of Black women in the United States and beyond, through the use of textual archives and oral histories that help to unpack the variant notions of sickness and health. By bringing these to the forefront, we also seek and propose opportunities to repair existing broken systems through reformatting the existing modalities of care in our communities.
This discussion happened on 30 April 2021 through Futuress, a feminist and design collective.