First Mantoux Test during Negro Health Week, 1938, Minnesota Historical Society Collections
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National Negro Health Week was an initiative started by Booker T. Washington, also founder of the Tuskegee Institute in 1915. Concerned with the high mortality rates of black American people, Washington began to work with health officials to improve the poor health of black Americans through education, health screenings, and other preventative measures. National Negro Health Week continued for 35 years across the country, and within 15 years, it was credited with raising the average lifespan of black Americans from 35 to 45 years. Minnesota black American community participated regularly in Negro Health Week.
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