Black History Month 2022

Black older Americans are more likely to have chronic health conditions and die prematurely than white older Americans, while at the same time likely to have large retirement savings and own their own home. In Buffalo, where 37% of U.S.-born older adults are Black, the largest share of any city in New York state, those inequalities are also present.

Over the weekend, Frederick Douglass historian David Anderson was honored with the New York state Liberty Medal. The Liberty Medal is the highest civilian honor that a state resident can receive and is given for lifetime achievement and exceptional community acts.

This Black History Month, WBFO took a look at the juvenile justice system with a woman who handles nearly all cases in Erie County.

Dr. Kenyani Davis, a Phoenix native, joined the Community Health Center of Buffalo in 2016 and in just five years was appointed chief medical officer, a role in which she leads clinical operations for the center’s facilities across Western New York. Davis spoke with WBFO about her Black history and how she overcame the lack of diversity in the medical field.

The new 400 Years of African American History Commission is designed to bring people together through events, activities and educational research to highlight contributions by Africans and African Americans to the country and to New York State.

Jillian Hanesworth made history in March 2021 when she became Buffalo’s first Poet Laureate. Hanesworth is now working on a new endeavor “Buffalo Books”, an initiative that makes reading material more accessible to residents of the East Side of Buffalo.

Author and Historian Deirdre Cooper Owens discusses her work in linking slavery-era medical practices to the maternal mortality crises among Black women in the United States.

The process started with the virtual showing of the documentary "White Savior: Racism in the American Church" Monday evening. The program returns March 7 for a series of virtual events through April 11.

Justice Shirley Troutman talks with WBFO upon her appointment to New York's highest court.

SUNY Buffalo State Endowed Chair Jevon Hunter is keeping literacy at the forefront for the next generation.