The Health of Black Childern

I have spent over forty years in the exam room. As a pediatrician, I’ve had the privilege of watching generations of children grow from infancy into adulthood. I’ve celebrated their milestones, treated their scrapes, and guided their parents through the complexities of childhood development. But today, I find myself at a crossroads. In all my decades of practice, **I have never been so deeply concerned about the health and future of Black children as I am right now.**

Every day in my office, I see a shift that keeps me up at night. I see children who are falling behind on life-saving vaccinations. I see young hearts and minds heavily burdened by the trauma of community violence. I see children as young as elementary age struggling with profound anxiety, crippling depression, and even the unthinkable, thoughts of suicide. Furthermore, I am seeing an epidemic of children who are disturbingly overweight, setting them on a path toward chronic illness before they’ve even reached high school.

I’ve asked myself: *What can I do to change the course for these children?* I realized that simply seeing patients one by one isn’t enough anymore. To make a real difference, I need to pull back the curtain on how the traditional healthcare community treats our children and those in underserved and minority groups. It is time to empower you with the truth and the tools to build your own health system for your family.