U-M MLK Health Sciences Keynote - Where Do We Go From Here: Body Politics and Movement Towards Racial Empowerment

Bodies represent the sites of socially constructed differences and power relations such that the personal is political. ‘Politics’ govern the dynamics of who, what, when, how, and why of human experiences. Body politics based on racial or ethnic ascriptions (and other intersecting elements such as gender, sexuality, age, social class, ability, etc.) govern and adversely affect the overall health and wellness of bodies of Color in general, and Black bodies in particular by impacting their abilities, opportunities, access (inclusion/exclusion), care/treatment, and the overall nature of their experiences.

As such, body politics create and contribute to health disparities. However, movement offers a variety of health benefits and thus, is a source of empowerment for racially politicized bodies.This event will feature a keynote presentation by Dr. Monique Butler that will address the theme Where Do We Go From Here: Body Politics and Movement Towards Racial Empowerment.

This event is sponsored by the U-M Health Sciences units.