Oral health is a crucial indicator of overall health. Most oral diseases and conditions share risk factors with the leading noncommunicable diseases (cardiovascular diseases, cancer, chronic respiratory diseases, and diabetes). These risk factors include tobacco use, alcohol consumption, and unhealthy diets high in free sugars, all traditionally seen at higher rates in BIPOC communities.

Social Determinants of Health are the social, economic, and environmental factors that impact health and contribute to health disparities. For Black Americans, several SDOHs disproportionately affect health outcomes. These include economic status, education access, healthcare access, neighborhood and built environment, and social and community contexts.

Bebe Moore Campbell was a pioneer in advocating for equitable mental health care, especially for Black and African-American communities. Through her best-selling books and powerful NPR commentations, she spoke on the harmful mental health stigma in black communities, and how that affected her experience as a Black woman in America.