Infant mortality has long been recognized as a disproportionate cause of death for black Americans. This talk examines the historical origins of tracking black infant mortality in the U.S. The data collected during slavery and in the long transition to freedom served a range of purposes, spanning preventative public health measures to theories forecasting black extinction. Drawing from a range of sources, Muigai explores the experiences underlying these numbers to consider how black parents, social scientists, and Washington bureaucrats have explained and debated the causes of infant death. The talk will consider the legacies of these counting practices in modern efforts to improve infant welfare and black health.
Event Speaker
Wangui Muigai, Assistant Professor of African and African American Studies and History at Brandeis University
Event Information
This event is free and open to the public, RSVP to receive Zoom link. This event is part of the New York History of Science Lecture Series.
Sponsoring Organizations
- The University Seminars at Columbia University
- Columbia University in the City of New York
- NYU Gallatin School of Individualized Study
- The Graduate Center, City University of New York
- The New York Academy of Medicine
- The New York Academy of Sciences
