Why is Black History Month Important in the Diabetes Community?
Written by: Lala Jackson
4 minute read
February 4, 2021
Black History Month began in the United States in 1976, but do you know its origins?
In 1926, historian and scholar Carter G. Woodson founded Negro History Week, aligning with the birthdays of Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglass. Per the National Museum of African American History & Culture.
Woodson’s goals for Negro History Week
With History Week, Woodson had two goals:
- Use history to prove to white Americans that Black people played important roles in the creation of America and deserved to be treated as equals.
- Increase the visibility of all facets of Black life in America, particularly in a time when news outlets tended to only highlight the negatives, skipping over rich cultures, academics, family, and more.
Why Black History Month matters to the diabetes community
So why is this important to the diabetes community?
Not often, but every once in a while when we share Black experiences of diabetes on social media, we get asked, “Why are you making this about race? Diabetes is hard for everyone.”
Diabetes is hard for everyone, but for white people with diabetes, skin color is not one of the things making it extra hard.
Black and other people of color in the diabetes community face:
- The burden of managing diabetes
- Impacts of biased healthcare providers making assumptions based on race
- Extra hurdles caused by systemic racism in healthcare coverage and access to diabetes technology
- Concerns about safety, such as whether a law enforcement officer might mistake an insulin pump for a gun because they are Black (a worry expressed by an alarming number of people in the community).
The role of Black History Month in the diabetes community
During Black History Month, we in the diabetes community have the opportunity and responsibility to tackle the barriers that make diabetes care more challenging for Black people.
At the same time, we celebrate the amazing contributions and identities of Black individuals in the diabetes community.
Black people have made tremendous contributions to medicine, science, and research that are often not celebrated in equal measure to their white counterparts. More importantly, no one should have to make tremendous contributions just to be recognized and valued.
Yet, Black people in the diabetes community are often overlooked.
Woodson’s vision and our responsibility
Similarly to Woodson’s original vision, Black History Month gives us concentrated time to not only celebrate and recognize Black people throughout our community, elevating stories that so many of us have never heard.
It also provides an opportunity to dig into where we can and must do better throughout the year.
We are a reflection of what and who we choose to celebrate and tell the stories of. So if we are leaving Black people out, what does that say about us?
Your voices on Black History Month
On Instagram, we asked you why Black History Month is specifically important in the diabetes community.
You let us know about the importance of representation and people being able to see themselves reflected in a community:
Representation and visibility
- “Representation and visibility matter, especially for an already alienating disease.”
- “Diabetes is diverse in who it affects, and we need every skin color repped to see change!”
- “The face of diabetes is diverse, and if avoided, crucial stories go unheard.”
- “When people can’t see themselves reflected in a community, they learn not to talk about their issue or to feel shame.”
- “To remind people that diabetes isn’t just for white children and aging relatives.”
Recognizing disparities
You let us know that you recognize disparities in diabetes care for Black people:
- “From what I’ve heard, Black people don’t get the same level of treatment as white people with type 1 diabetes.”
- “To educate myself about how to better serve the Black diabetes community.”
Uplifting stories in the community
And you let us know the importance of uplifting stories:
- “I like meeting other Black advocates in the community and hearing their stories.”
- “To spread awareness on how [diabetes] impacts us in all areas of our lives.”
Continuing the work beyond Black History Month
Throughout Black History Month and beyond, it is each of our responsibility to recognize where we can lean in and to continue to examine our own biases.
This work is not limited to one month, but we aim to use this month as an opportunity to pause and create a moment for celebrating Black people in the diabetes community.
We invite you to continue sharing your thoughts on the importance of Black History Month in the diabetes community. Let us know about people and organizations doing important work on behalf of Black people in the diabetes space.
Find community online and tune in to events like our monthly Community Table.

Author
Lala Jackson
Lala is a communications strategist who has lived with type 1 diabetes since 1997. She worked across med-tech, business incubation, library tech and wellness before landing in the type 1 diabetes (T1D) non-profit space in 2016. A bit of a nomad, she grew up primarily bouncing between Hawaii and Washington state and graduated from the University of Miami. You can usually find her reading, preferably on a beach.
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