Skip to main content
An official website of the United States government

Black Futures Month

, by DCEG Staff

Black Futures Month was established in 2015 by the Movement for Black Lives. It is a “visionary, forward-looking spin on celebrations of Blackness in February.”1 Black Futures Month is a time to uplift the ongoing movement for racial justice, celebrate the achievements and contributions of Black individuals, and remember and learn from Black history.

Celebrate Black Futures Month by valuing and amplifying the voices, innovation, and creativity of Black investigators, staff, and trainees. We invited a few leaders in cancer and health equity research to share what Black Futures Month means to them:

Dr. Paulette Gray

Dr. Paulette Gray

“Remembering the past and looking towards the future is admirable since Black people have contributed much to improve the substance of mankind and this country. As such, we must ensure that the humanness of Black people is recognized and appreciated.”

Paulette Gray, Ph.D., Director, Division of Extramural Activities, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health

Mya Roberson

Dr. Mya Roberson

“To me, Black Futures Month means imagining the vast possibilities for the advancement of the health and well-being of Black people; possibilities that are designed by Black people for Black people. Black Futures Month is imagining and realizing Black thriving.”

Mya Roberson, Ph.D., M.S.P.H., Social Epidemiologist, Health Services Researcher in Cancer Care Delivery, Assistant Professor, Vanderbilt University

Amanda Calhoun, MD, MPH

Dr. Amanda Calhoun

“A month dedicated to the future of Black populations means that America is truly invested in ensuring that Black people receive safe and equitable treatment in the medical system. It also means that non-Black people be willing to do the necessary work to eradicate anti-Black racism.”

Amanda Calhoun, M.D., M.P.H., Researcher, Activist, and Anti-racism Educator, Psychiatry Resident, Yale School of Medicine

If you would like to provide anonymous feedback or suggestions, please use this one-question survey.

Learn about the work we can do to advance Black Futures:

References

1What is Black Futures Month? Movement for Black Lives. January 2022.

Browse the archive of monthly messages and learn more about the Inclusivity Minute project.

< Older Post

Global Health Research Equity

Newer Post >

Beyond the Gender Binary

If you would like to reproduce some or all of this content, see Reuse of NCI Information for guidance about copyright and permissions. In the case of permitted digital reproduction, please credit the National Cancer Institute as the source and link to the original NCI product using the original product's title; e.g., “Black Futures Month was originally published by the National Cancer Institute.”

Archive

Email