African American pharmacists and the evolution of black professional pharmacy associations

Curr Pharm Teach Learn. 2025 Jan 20;17(4):102278. doi: 10.1016/j.cptl.2024.102278. Online ahead of print.

Abstract

The histography of Black professional pharmacist associations has largely been ignored. During the Jim Crow era there existed multiple and overlapping spaces within which Black civic and professional voluntary organizations engaged in representation and advocacy, professional support and development, cultural competence, community engagement and education, research and innovation, and diversity and inclusion in the professions. One group that has received minimal to no attention is that of the role of Black professional pharmacy organizations. Through historical review, several key points about Black professional pharmacy organizations will be explored. (This is the second of three papers dealing with key points of black professional pharmacy associations. This paper should be considered as a direct continuation of the preceding paper cited earlier).

Keywords: Advocacy; African Americans; American pharmaceutical association; Black history; Cultural competence; Diversity; Inclusion; National pharmaceutical association; Pharmacy associations; Representation.