Publication Date
Spring 2-27-2025
Presentation Length
Poster/Gallery presentation
College
Interdisciplinary Studies & Global Education
Department
Honors Program
Student Level
Undergraduate
SPARK Category
Scholarship
Faculty Advisor
Mary Ellen Pethel
SPARK Session
Poster Presentation in Beaman
Presentation Type
Poster
Summary
African Americans experience significant health disparities, including a shorter life expectancy and high mortality rate. Systemic discrimination, limited access to quality healthcare, and socioeconomic inequalities are believed to be key contributing factors. Another key factor is a historical distrust of the healthcare system as a result of unethical biomedical experiments such as the Tuskegee Syphilis Study. A key figure in combating these disparities was Dr. Matthew Walker Sr., a pioneering African American physician whose contributions to medical education and healthcare access helped improve the well-being of underserved populations. Dr. Walker trained numerous Black physicians and established the Matthew Walker Comprehensive Health Center to provide healthcare to marginalized communities. His legacy shows the importance of diversity in the medical field and the need for equal healthcare access to reduce the health disparities African Americans face today.
Recommended Citation
Spence, Mary Y., "African American Health Disparities: Nashville’s Efforts to Bridge the Gap" (2025). SPARK Symposium Presentations. 333.
https://repository.belmont.edu/spark_presentations/333
