Howard University
Dr. Alina Carter, MD
Chief of Cardiology, Metro General Health System
A national public health platform
Advancing Black health through the power of HBCUs.
HealthHBCU is a public health platform that harnesses the reach, trust, talent and legacy of Historically Black Colleges and Universities to help build healthier communities. We turn education into engagement, engagement into action, and action into measurable community impact.
The influence of HBCU alumni
107
HBCUs nationwide
2.5M+
Living HBCU alumni driving Black economic and civic power
70%
Of Black physicians and dentists have HBCU roots
4
HBCU medical schools — Howard, Meharry, Morehouse and Charles R. Drew
290K+
Students currently enrolled at HBCUs nationwide
1 in 5
Nursing degrees earned by Black students come from an HBCU program
25%
Of all Black STEM and health-science graduates come from HBCUs
$16.5B
Annual economic impact generated by HBCUs
Four pillars, one platform.
01
Health Education
Culturally relevant health education built for Black communities and delivered through trusted HBCU voices.
02HBCU Health Leaders
Celebrating the physicians, nurses, scientists and executives HBCUs produce — and inspiring who comes next.
03Workforce Development
Mentorship, internships, scholarships and employer partnerships that open doors into healthcare careers.
04Community Engagement
Health brought directly into communities through campus activations, classics, screenings and wellness events.
Our public health approach
Health is shaped by much more than what happens inside a doctor's office.
Where people live, learn, work, worship and build relationships influences access to care, preventive behaviors, trust, health literacy and outcomes. HBCUs sit at the intersection of all of it — as educational institutions, employers, research centers, cultural anchors and trusted community partners.
HealthHBCU activates that infrastructure for public health, connecting institutions, healthcare organizations, community groups and funders around shared health priorities.
Read our approachThe network effect
- 01Students
- 02Faculty & Staff
- 03Alumni
- 04Families
- 05Communities
A campus-based initiative becomes a broader community health movement.
Featured campaign
The Classic Checkup
We're taking screenings to the tailgate. Across the fall classic season, HealthHBCU brings blood pressure checks, glucose testing and mental health conversations into the stadium lots where our communities already gather.
See the tour scheduleHealth, organized around what matters.
All topicsHeart Health
Blood pressure, cholesterol and the everyday habits that protect your heart.
Diabetes
Prevention, screening and living well with type 1 and type 2 diabetes.
Mental Health
Therapy, stigma, stress and building support that lasts.
Women's Health
Screenings, reproductive care and advocacy in the exam room.
Men's Health
Prostate, heart and the checkups too often postponed.
Cancer
Early detection, clinical trials and survivorship support.
HBCU health leader spotlight
Morehouse College
Dr. Marcus Boyd, PhD
Director of Population Health Research, National Institute for Community Health
Florida A&M University
Vanessa Hill, DNP, RN
System Chief Nursing Officer, Riverbend Health
Latest from the newsroom
View all articles
Heart Health
Understanding the Elevated Risk of Stroke in Black Communities
High rates of hypertension, diabetes, and systemic health inequities place Black adults at an elevated risk for stroke, highlighting the urgent need for culturally competent cardiovascular care.
September 1, 2026
Maternal Health
South Florida Nonprofit Deploys Mobile Clinic to Combat Black Maternal Health Disparities
A South Florida organization is providing free prenatal care and advocacy via a mobile clinic to tackle racial disparities in maternal mortality.
September 1, 2026
Maternal Health
Advocates Raise Alarms Over Escalating National Maternal Health Crisis
Health equity leaders urge immediate systemic reforms as systemic barriers and implicit bias continue to drive disproportionate maternal mortality rates.
September 1, 2026