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Stephanie M.
The Baltimore Times’ Health Matters series explores how illiteracy, rooted in historical injustices like slavery, impacts the health of African Americans today. Laws forbidding the education of enslaved people led to a lack of literacy that still affects many Black adults. This can lead to serious health consequences, like not being able to read medicine labels or follow post-surgery instructions. The series calls for awareness and action to address the deep-seated challenges of illiteracy in the Black community. By understanding the historical context and connecting it to current health disparities, the series challenges society to confront these issues and work towards equity. Education is seen as a powerful tool for liberation and advancement, but the legacy of past barriers continues to affect the health and education outcomes of African Americans today.
The Baltimore Times’ Health Matters series, “Illiteracy: Black America’s Public Health Enemy #1,” begins on a vital exploration of the complex interplay between literacy, health, and racial injustice in the African American community. This periodic reporting will dig deep into the historical roots of Black illiteracy, tracing its origins back to the era of slavery, and examine its contemporary implications, revealing how illiteracy remains a significant barrier to achieving equitable health outcomes for African Americans.
The genesis of this crisis can be traced to the draconian policies of the slavery era, where laws explicitly forbade the education of enslaved African Americans. These policies were not merely acts of suppression but were strategically designed to maintain control over the enslaved population. The fear instilled by the potential of literacy, which was viewed as a tool of emancipation, led to the enforcement of these laws with severe punishments. This historical context is crucial for understanding the enduring mental shackles of illiteracy within the African American community, a legacy that has perpetuated educational disparities to this day.
Despite the abolition of slavery and significant legal milestones like the Brown v. Board of Education decision, which aimed to end segregated education, the struggle for literacy equity remains an elusive achievement. The series highlights a troubling reality: a substantial number of Black adults today possess reading skills at or below the level considered necessary for functional literacy. This deficiency not only limits individual empowerment but also has direct implications for health outcomes.
It is nearly impossible to calculate how many patients die each year because they could not correctly read a prescription medicine label nor determine the number of patients who became ill after surgery because they could not read critical home care instructions.
The link between illiteracy and health disparities is a central theme of the series. It posits that without adequate literacy skills, African American communities will continue to face significant obstacles in combating health inequities. The series intends to identify ways the battle against health disparities can be won by raising awareness of the deep-seated challenges and attitudes to address the persistent root causes of illiteracy in the Black community.
Furthermore, the series does not shy away from the broader societal implications of this issue, suggesting that the persistence of educational inequalities reflects deeper currents of racial and social injustice. It calls for a reflective examination of America’s past to understand and address these long-standing inequities.
Some of colonial America’s first laws were “slave codes” created to make it illegal to teach Black people, freedman or slaves how to read. These mandates preceded Black Codes and Jim Crow laws that will be scrutinized for their role in perpetuating illiteracy among African Americans.
The series makes it clear that economic interests and the maintenance of the status quo were underlying factors in these oppressive policies. Notable figures such as Frederick Douglass, who defied these restrictions and became a symbol of the transformative power of literacy, are highlighted to underscore the potential of education as a tool for liberation and advancement.
Yet, the legacy of these historical barriers continues to echo in the present day, influencing the educational and health outcomes of African Americans.
By connecting the dots between the historical suppression of literacy and current health disparities, The Baltimore Times challenges the medical community and society at large to confront these intertwined issues.
The series is not just a recounting of past injustices; it is a call to action, urging stakeholders, including healthcare providers, policymakers, and patients, to address the critical links between literacy, health disparities, and racial injustice with the urgency and dedication that the situation demands.
“Illiteracy: Black America’s Public Health Enemy #1” is intended to be more than a series of articles; it is meant to be a compelling examination of a multifaceted public health crisis. By shedding light on the historical roots of Black illiteracy and its impact on health outcomes, The Baltimore Times not only informs its readership but also mobilizes them towards meaningful change.
Jayne Hopson is a 2024 Commonwealth Health Care Performance Fellow. The special series “Illiteracy: Black America’s Public Health Enemy # 1” is funded by Association of Health Care Journalists (AHCJ) and supported by The Commonwealth Fund.