Nursing

Examples of Cultural Phenomena Affecting Health Care Among Black or African Americans Nations of Origin Many West African countries (as slaves) Ethiopia Nigeria West Indian Islands Dominican Republic Haiti Jamaica Environmental Control Traditional HEALTH and ILLNESS beliefs may continue to be observed by “traditional” people and new immigrants Biological Variations Sickle-cell anemia Hypertension Cancer of […]

Highlights of the Civil Rights Movement 1954 Brown v. Board of Education—segregation in public schools found to be illegal by this landmark Supreme Court ruling 1955 Rosa Parks refuses to give up her seat on a bus in Montgomery, Alabama, and the bus boycott in Alabama begins Emmett Till murdered in Mississippi 1957 Central High

HEALTH and ILLNESS in the Black Population ■ 275 perfume has been added; luck water, ordinary water that is purchased in many shades (red is for success in love, yellow for success in money matters, blue for protection and friends). 2. Bad gris-gris: oils and powders that have a vile odor. The following are examples

Traditional Methods of HEALING Voodoo, or Voudou. Voodoo, or American voudou, is a belief system often alluded to but rarely described in any detail (Davis, 1998). At various times, patients may mention terms such as fix, hex, or spell. It is not clear whether voodoo is fully practiced today, but there is some evidence in

Folk Medicine In many traditional Black communities, folk medicine previously practiced in Africa may still be employed. The methods have been tried and tested and are still relied on. Healers or voodoo practitioners make no class or status distinc- tions among their patients, treating everyone fairly and honestly. This tradition of equality of care and

HEALTH and ILLNESS in the Black Population ■ 273 4. Bluestone, a mineral found in the ground, is used as medicine for open wounds. The stone is crushed into a powder and sprinkled on the affected area. It prevents inflammation and is used to treat poison ivy. 5. To treat a “crick” in the neck,

Traditional Methods of HEALTH Maintenance and Protection The following sections present examples of practices employed presently or in earlier generations to maintain and protect HEALTH and to treat various types of maladies to restore HEALTH. This discussion cannot encompass all the types of care given to and by the members of the Black community but

Central High School, Little Rock, Arkansas. HEALTH and ILLNESS in the Black Population ■ 271 one possessed HEALTH, one was in harmony with nature; ILLNESS was a state of disharmony. Traditional Black belief regarding HEALTH did not separate the mind, body, and spirit. Disharmony—that is, ILLNESS—was attributed to a number of sources, primarily demons and

Highlights of the Civil Rights Movement 1954 Brown v. Board of Education—segregation in public schools found to be illegal by this landmark Supreme Court ruling 1955 Rosa Parks refuses to give up her seat on a bus in Montgomery, Alabama, and the bus boycott in Alabama begins Emmett Till murdered in Mississippi 1957 Central High

Chapter 11 HEALTH and ILLNESS in the Black Population God speed the day when human blood shall cease to flow! In every clime be understood, the claims of human brotherhood, And each return for evil, good, not blow for blow; That day will come all feuds to end, and change into a faithful friend each