Celebrating Black History Month
The accomplishments of Black Americans have played a central role throughout our history, and Black History Month prompts dedicated time to reflect on the impacts of these achievements, as well as the Black experience in our country. Each year, The Association for the Study of African American Life and History designates a theme for Black History Month to guide our focus, and the theme for 2025 is “African Americans and Labor” (ASALH, 2025).
Black Americans have made critical contributions across all areas of work, including science and medicine. They have also faced, and continue to face, unique issues when it comes to labor, research, and healthcare. The leaders, faculty, and staff at Jefferson Moss Rehabilitation Research Institute recognize that the contributions of Black Americans impact the work we do every day, and that through our work, we have an opportunity to begin to address some of the issues the Black community faces related to research and healthcare.
The work and careers of pioneering Black scientists and clinicians have had enduring impacts on the fields of neuroscience, neurorehabilitation, and medicine. Learning more about our history and the achievements of Black Americans is important, this month and beyond, to eliminate systemic racism and truly embrace diversity and inclusion in our workplaces and our communities. Diversity in perspectives, approaches, cultures, and experiences can enrich science and medicine, foster innovation, and fuel medical breakthroughs.
During Black History Month, and throughout the year, it is essential for all of us to understand and consider the historical context surrounding the Black community in our country. Our Institute’s mission is centered on improving the lives of individuals with neurological disabilities through research. To advance our mission, it is essential that we consider the racial healthcare disparities and history of injustice that affect the populations we study. Our Institute’s research spans the translational continuum, from basic science to developing new treatments and conducting clinical trials.
From this lens, we are cognizant of the historical injustices that occurred during events such as the Tuskegee Syphilis Study and many other instances of unethical conduct in research and medicine. Individuals who participate in our research come from racially and economically diverse communities that have been historically exploited by clinical research, and we recognize that many Black Americans still face discrimination today in their healthcare, and in their lives more broadly. We prioritize rebuilding trust, being honest and transparent, and engaging in ethical research practices at our Institute in order to begin to address the injustices that have contributed to healthcare disparities in populations of individuals with neurological disabilities.
In addition, representation is key for making progress towards equity in research and healthcare — both in terms of ensuring diverse representation of research participants in our studies and also increasing the representation of Black Americans in clinical and research professions. The underrepresentation of Black Americans in leadership positions or other roles of influence is even more striking. Several years ago, the Society for Neuroscience (SfN) published data that highlighted disparities in the field, reporting that only 4% of PhD awardees in the 2015-2016 academic year in the U.S. were Black. In contrast, 72% of PhD awardees during the same period in the U.S. were White/Caucasian. This same pattern of underrepresentation is seen in subsequent career stages. Only 3% of neuroscience postdoctoral trainees and only 1% of faculty in the SfN report were Black (Society for Neuroscience, 2017). Though some progress has been made through focused efforts to increase diversity in neuroscience and neurorehabilitation, these data emphasize that there is still a long way to go.
As we celebrate Black History Month, we acknowledge the atrocities of the past, as well as the present inequities that remain. We recognize that our work is not done. We appreciate the many valuable contributions of Black individuals, and we are committed to helping shape a vibrant future where diversity, equity, and inclusion are ubiquitous in science, medicine, and beyond.
Thank you to Brandon Knight for contributing to the ideas and data included in this post and inspiring the Black History Month blog series.
References:
- Society for Neuroscience. (2017). Diversity in Neuroscience. https://www.sfn.org/-/media/SfN/Documents/Survey-Reports/NDP-Final-Report.ashx?la=en
- The Association for the Study of African American Life and History (ASALH). (2025). Black History Themes. https://asalh.org/black-history-themes/