Black Studies Speaker Series: Dr. Bukola Salami

Improving Access and Use of Health Services for Black People in Canada

Thursday, March 26 | 2:30–4 p.m. | Stauffer 014 | Registration link

6–7 p.m. | Community Conversation Circle | Kingston East Community Centre, 779 Highway 15 | Registration link

Black people are a rapidly growing population in Canada, yet they continue to experience disproportionately poor health outcomes. Anti-Black racism remains a significant barrier to equitable access to care and to the use of health services. Drawing on both quantitative and qualitative data from across Canada, this talk will illuminate the challenges Black communities face in accessing and utilizing health services. It will also highlight strategies to improve access and enhance the use of health services for Black people in Canada.

Dr. Bukola Salami, RN, BScN, MN, PhD, FCAN, FAAN is a Full Professor and Tier 1 Canada Research Chair in Black and Racialized Peoples’ Health in the Department of Community Health Sciences, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, with a cross-appointment in the Faculty of Nursing. Her research program examines the policies and practices that shape the health and well-being of migrants, Black communities, and other racialized populations.

Dr. Salami has led or collaborated on more than 100 funded studies totaling over $250 million, and has published approximately 180 scholarly papers. She is the Founder and Director of the African Child and Youth Migration Network, an international network of 42 scholars across four continents, and co-led the establishment of the Institute for Intersectional Studies at the University of Alberta.

In 2020, she founded the Black Youth Mentorship and Leadership Program, which has supported and mentored over 350 Black undergraduate and high school students. Her research on Black youth mental health directly informed the creation of Western Canada’s first mental health clinic for Black Canadians.

A recognized leader in health equity, Dr. Salami has presented her work to policymakers, including the House of Commons Standing Committee on Health, and has contributed to several policy changes advancing the well-being of Black and racialized communities.

Nationally, she serves as Vice President of the Canadian Nurses Association, Co-Chair of the Public Health Agency of Canada’s Advisory Committee on Science, and Member of the Governing Council of the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC). She also serves on advisory boards for the CIHR Institute for Human Development, Child and Youth Health, the Public Health Agency of Canada’s Mental Health of Black Canadians Working Group, and the Government of Canada’s Scientific Advisory Committee on Global Health.

Through her research, mentorship, and leadership, Dr. Salami continues to shape national and global conversations on health equity and the structural determinants of health for Black and racialized peoples.