Our Story
BLKHLTH is an Atlanta-based non-profit organization founded by four graduates from Emory University's Rollins School of Public Health: Khadijah Ameen, Matthew McCurdy, Mercilla Ryan-Harris, and Paulah Wheeler. As students in a predominantly white institution, we quickly noticed gaps in the understanding of the complexities of race and health among both our peers and instructors.
Inspired by the call to rebuild Black liberation through the #BlackLivesMatter movement, we recognized the urgent need to address health inequities in Black communities. Conversations about Black people’s health were often overlooked, despite the well-documented reality that we experience higher rates of illness and premature death due to structural racism.
We soon realized that the lack of accessible and accurate information about the intersections of racism, race, and health was not just an issue within our academic institution but was a widespread problem across many spaces. Determined to take action, we committed ourselves to bridging this gap and ensuring that the health of Black people and communities is prioritized in conversations, policies, and systems.
Paulah Wheeler, MPH
Co-Founder
Paulah is a Detroit native with a passion for advancing the health of Black people both at home and abroad. Paulah has trained healthcare workers in Kenya, Nigeria, Cambodia, and Bangladesh in public health management and leadership, and she currently manages a national HIV program in South Africa.
Khadijah Ameen, PhD, MPH
Co-Founder
Khadijah is passionate about increasing access to and quality of health and social services to ALL Black people.
Khadijah has spent most of her professional career working within various healthcare delivery and payer settings partnering with clinicians and senior-level administrators to identify ways to improve engagement, quality, and outcomes for marginalized populations.
Mercilla Ryan-Harris, MPH
Co-Founder
Mercilla is a proud Atlanta native with a passion for improving the overall health of the black community through development of culturally humble public health programming.
Matthew McCurdy, MPH
Co-Founder
Matthew McCurdy (he/him) is passionate about applying social science theory, health equity frameworks, and design to develop creative solutions that improve health outcomes for Black people.