Avery, Byllye

Avery, Byllye

▪ American health-care activist
in full  Byllye Yvonne Avery 
born 1937, DeLand, Florida, U.S.
 
 American health care activist whose efforts centred on bettering the welfare of low-income African American women through self-help groups and advocacy networks.

      Avery studied psychology at Talledega (Alabama) College (B.A., 1959) and received an M.A. in special education from the University of Florida (1969). She devoted herself to the education of emotionally disturbed children, first as a teacher and then as a consultant to the state of Florida.

      Her husband's sudden death at age 33 was the catalyst for Avery's commitment to improving the health of the African American community; she focused particularly on women who, like herself, had a high level of stress in their lives. Self-help groups for African American women facing poverty, crime, violence, and racism were the cornerstones of her activism.

      In 1974 Avery cofounded the Gainesville (Florida) Women's Health Center and later became its president and executive director. Four years later she cofounded Birthplace, an alternative birthing centre, also in Gainesville. The self-help groups she initiated served as models throughout the nation and worldwide, and they paved the way for her founding in 1983 of the National Black Women's Health Project (NBWHP; since 2003 the Black Women's Health Imperative). That year the NBWHP held its first national conference at Spelman College in Atlanta, Georgia. As executive director (1982–90) of the NBWHP, Avery helped the grassroots advocacy organization grow to an international network of more than 2,000 participants in 22 states and 6 foreign countries, producing not only the first Center for Black Women's Wellness but also the first documentary film by African American women exploring their perspectives on sexuality and reproduction. For her proposals and work with the NBWHP, which enabled thousands of African American women to take charge of their health care, Avery was awarded a MacArthur fellowship in 1989. In the 1990s she wrote and lectured widely on how race, sex, and class affect women's empowerment in the women's health movement.

* * *


Universalium. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Нужен реферат?

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Avery (surname) — Avery is a surname of ambiguous origin. Some scholars believe that the name is derived from Every or Evreux . The name may have arrived in Britain after the Norman Conquest. It is the name of a county in Normandy. It can also be found in the… …   Wikipedia

  • Avery (Familienname) — Avery ist der Familienname folgender Personen: Byllye Avery (* 1937), amerikanische Sozialreformerin Charles Avery (Schauspieler) (1873−1926), US amerikanischer Schauspieler und Regisseur Charles Avery (Künstler) (* 1973), schottischer Künstler… …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Byllye Avery — Infobox scientist name = Byllye Avery image size = 150px birth date = 1937 birth place = Deland, Florida nationality = United States field = work institutions = alma mater = University of Florida Talledega College doctoral advisor = doctoral… …   Wikipedia

  • National Black Women's Health Project — National Black Women’s Health Project was legally formed in 1984 in Atlanta, Georgia out of an expressed need to address the health and reproductive rights of African American Women. NBWHP was principally founded by Byllye Avery. Avery was… …   Wikipedia

  • DeLand, Florida — De Land redirects here. For the village in Illinois, see De Land, Illinois. DeLand   City   Old Volusia County Courthouse …   Wikipedia

  • MacArthur Fellows Program — For the award in the field of ecology, see Robert H. MacArthur Award. The MacArthur Fellows Program or MacArthur Fellowship (nicknamed the Genius Award) is an award given by the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation each year to typically …   Wikipedia

  • List of University of Florida people — Notable alumni or attendeescience and mathematics*Mark Adler, American researcher, known for his work in data compression, and creator of zlib and gzip *Linda H. Aiken, Current Director of the Center of Health Outcomes and Policy Research, and… …   Wikipedia

  • Nikky Finney — (born Lynn Carol Finney on August 26, 1957 in Conway, South Carolina) is an award winning American poet, and the Provost’s Distinguished Service Professor of English at the University of Kentucky.[1][2] An alumna of Talladega College, and author… …   Wikipedia

  • Liste der MacArthur Fellows — Die MacArthur Fellowship ist eine von der John D. und Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation vergebene Auszeichnung, verbunden mit einem fünfjährigen Stipendium. Inhaltsverzeichnis 1 Liste der MacArthur Fellows 1.1 1981 1.2 1982 1.3 …   Deutsch Wikipedia

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”