John, did you know Black history and care history are deeply connected? Let me explain. 

Take the story of Lois Curtis – a Black woman whose life became a beacon of change for millions of disabled people. Lois spent her teen years and early twenties in and out of institutions that she did not want to be in. Knowing she wanted to live independently, Lois sued the state of Georgia alongside another institutionalized person in 1995. This became the landmark Olmstead decision, the most important Supreme Court decision protecting the right for all people to live in their homes and communities.

Lois’s advocacy ensured the right for a disabled person to live the life they choose.

This is just one example of where the history of care and Black history are intertwined — we can’t leave out the importance of Black caregivers. Some of the earliest care workers in the United States were enslaved African women. More than 150 years after the abolition of slavery, care remains undervalued and those who do the work and receive care are nearly invisible in our culture.

To this day, Black women experience the deepest harm from the lack of investment in care. That needs to change. 

The consequences of the past and present have led to a care system that is unaffordable and inaccessible. Systemic injustices in our care infrastructure today include:

• inadequate pay and benefits for Black and Brown care workers
• higher financial strain for working Black caregivers compared to white caregivers
• unaffordable childcare and early education options
• absence of paid family and medical leave and unequal access to unpaid care
• inaccessible aging and disability care, where Black care recipients are institutionalized at a higher rate

A better care system must center the lives, experiences, and knowledge of Black women, who have disproportionately experienced the harms of our current care system. Like Lois Curtis, we must fight for a better and more independent future for Black care recipients and caregivers. We depend on one another.

We can't think about care history without considering Black history. Before Black History Month comes to a close, share this history with your community by sharing this post on Facebook or Instagram. 

There is more work to do. And while we do it, it’s important to celebrate victories like the Olmstead decision and heroes like Lois Curtis who make a better care system possible.

With care, 

Nicole Jorwic, Chief of Campaigns & Advocacy
Caring Across Generations