UofL 550 PrEP Program & Black Women’s Learning Institute Collaborative Project

The Black Women’s Learning Institute (BWLI) is a national center targeting the health and wellness needs of Black women across the lifespan. BWLI was born out of reflection and need; the intersection of COVID-19 and national racial injustices were the impetus to our work. BWLI creates needed platforms for Black women to discuss their complexities and address issues that disproportionately impact them. 

In 2021, through thoughtful and trust-based community engagement, in collaboration with our local partners, we facilitated critical conversations that provided a deeper understanding of the history and current issues that impact the health and lives of Black women. In Louisville, we lead listening sessions with Black women (adolescents/emerging adults, reproductive age, and 50+) to learn about their top health concerns and their experiences with health care providers.  Through these discussions, we identified a need for tailored messaging that resonates with Black women around HIV prevention which led to our collaboration with the University of Louisville’s 550 PrEP Program.  It is through this collaboration, we were able to hear the voices of local Black women who provided critical experiential context, thereby shaping critical health messages, for us by us. Our joint vision is to advance health equity for Black women at multiple levels (individual, interpersonal, community, and policy) in Louisville, KY.