The Center for Black Agency and Resilience (C-BAR)
In an interview, MSM's Dr. Herman Taylor discussed how research can help to change the narrative about the Black community and health.
By Kiplyn Primus, host of Jazz 91.9 WCLK radio's "The Local Take with Kiplyn Primus"
C-BAR may be a phrase that you haven’t heard before, but it might be one that you remember. C-BAR stands for the Center for Black Agency and Resilience, and it is led by Dr. Herman Taylor, endowed professor and director of the Cardiovascular Research Institute at Morehouse School of Medicine.
"I have a limited understanding of the work that you are doing only because I have had training on asset framing," I asked. "Additionally, as a Black woman in our country, I know that without persistence and community, most of us wouldn’t make it very far."
During a one-on-one interview, Dr. Taylor spoke about being a cardiologist and wanting to provide research to assist in changing the narrative about the Black community and health. He recounted the story about a social scientist who proclaimed in the 1890s that the “problem of the Negro” would be solved with Black people's extinction within a few years. The resilience of our community can be seen in many iterations from families to institutions.
When asked about the layer of stress that comes from systemic and casual racism, Dr. Taylor mentioned his work with the Jackson Heart Study, which found a clear connection between discrimination and high blood pressure. He also discussed research on “Blue Zone” health, which shows that improved cardio health comes when you live in a community with mutual support.
Dr. Taylor explained that C-BAR hopes to increase knowledge about the Black community's interpersonal relationships, which provide joy and resilience. It is positioning itself to impact Black agency by adjusting the narrative around our communities and health in a multi-discipline research project.
The current health disparities are real, and this research can change the healthcare narrative for today's children and their children. Dr. Taylor spoke of self-determination in the Black community and the arc of progress, emphasizing that it not simply a historical story but also living examples of joy and resilience that exist in the arts, politics and collective economies.