C-BAR may be a phrase that you haven’t heard before, but I think it might be one that you remember. C-BAR stands for The Center for Black Agency and Resilience and it is led by Dr. Herman Taylor a professor at the Morehouse School of Medicine. I have a limited understanding of the work that you are doing only because I have had training on asset framing. Additionally, as a Black woman in our country, I know that without persistence, and community most of us wouldn’t make it very far.
I asked Dr. Taylor to tell us about C-BAR and he speaks about being a cardiologist and wanting to provide research to assist in changing the narrative about our community and health. Dr. Taylor shares the story about the turn of the century social scientist who proclaimed in the 1890s that the “problem of the Negro” would be solved with our extinction in a few years. The resilience of our community can be seen in many iterations from families to institutions.
When asked about the layer of stress that comes from systemic and casual racism, Taylor mentions the Jackson Heart Study which found a clear connection between discrimination and high blood pressure. He also speaks to research on “Blue Zone” health, which shows that improved cardio health comes when you live in a community with mutual support.
Taylor explains that C-BAR hopes to increase knowledge about our community's interpersonal relationships, which provide joy and resilience. C-BAR is positioning itself to impact Black agency by adjusting the narrative around our communities and health. This will be a multi-discipline research project. The current health disparities are real and this research can change the healthcare narrative for our children and their children. He speaks of self-determination in our community and the arc of progress. Taylor says ours is not simply a historical story but living examples of joy and resilience that exist in the arts, politics, and collective economies.
For more information on C-BAR and Dr. Herman Taylor