Black History Month

ACOG Observes Black History Month 2023

This year’s Black History Month theme, chosen for national observance by the Association for the Study of African American Life and History, is Black Resistance. The association’s description of resistance includes seeking “ways to nurture and protect Black lives” and advocating for “autonomy of [Black people’s] physical and intellectual bodies” in a multitude of ways. One of the ways in which resistance is fostered is by creating spaces for Black people to center themselves in places where they have been othered and to reject societal limitations by creating opportunities and pathways for themselves.

Within the medical community, these spaces have been critical for the professional and personal development of Black health care professionals. From historically Black colleges and universities and Black-owned hospitals to modern mentorship and development programs, these environments exist as a form of resistance against systemic and institutional racism that exclude Black health care professionals.

For Black History Month 2023, we invite you to share what space as a form of resistance means to you. Whether you’ve benefited from space created within your institution or the obstetrics and gynecology community, created space or see the need for space for yourself and colleagues within your institution, or are holding space for your colleagues as an ally, we want to learn from you about how these spaces are critical to achieving equity in medicine. Please share your story, through the written word, artwork, or video, by emailing [email protected].