National minority health month has been erased. The need for it hasn’t.

April is National Minority Health Month. But this year, you might not know it.

Its origins go back to 1915, when Booker T. Washington founded National Negro Health Week. In 2002, a Republican-led Congress established the month as we’ve known it for the last few decades.

Since then, federal agencies like the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have promoted National Minority Health Month to bring attention to the health needs of racial and ethnic minority communities.

Now it’s gone.

You can find some mention of last year on the CDC website and the National Institutes of Health (NIH) website. But nothing about 2025 can be found on federal websites.

What happens when official recognition disappears?

For one thing, the issue itself doesn’t go away. National Minority Health Month has long drawn attention to disparities in health outcomes along racial and ethnic lines. Decade after decade, across countless health issues, people of color—especially those living at or near the poverty line—experience worse health outcomes. The evidence on this is clear.

But erasing National Minority Health Month makes addressing these disparities more difficult. Annual campaigns led by CDC, HHS, and others have not only identified problems but also highlighted solutions. Without formal recognition, it becomes harder for health equity-focused efforts to gain the attention, funding, and policy changes they need to drive real transformation.

Solutions exist—and must be supported

Even without federal recognition, community organizations continue to do the work of ending racial health disparities. Our Align Systems with Community Priorities team funds organizations across California fighting to close health gaps by centering the people most affected by these inequities.

This includes:

• Cultiva La Salud works with low-income Latino communities in the Central Valley to advocate for access to healthy foods, safe spaces for physical activity, and domestic violence prevention resources.
• The San Joaquin Valley Health Fund support dozens of community organizations advocating for state and local policies that create better conditions for health.
• The California Accountable Communities for Health Initiative (CACHI) supports dozens of multisector collaboratives across California, empowering community organizations to drive systemic change through policy, advocacy, and partnerships.

In California, advocacy groups also remain steadfast in their focus on health equity and community-driven solutions. These include:

• The California Pan-Ethnic Health Network (CPEHN) unites grassroots groups throughout our state to push for policies that reflect the needs and priorities of underserved communities of color.
• State of Equity, a program of the Public Health Institute, advances racial and health equity by transforming public institutions through policy, capacity building, and cross-sector collaboration.
• Public Health Advocates champions policy and systems change that address the root causes of health disparities in communities across California.

These organizations—and many more—prove that the fight for health equity will continue, regardless of federal government recognition.

We can keep health equity visible in California

Even if National Minority Health Month is no longer formally recognized at the federal level, we all must stay committed to keeping the issue at the forefront of policy and funding decisions.

At Blue Shield of California Foundation, we are unwavering in our commitment to health equity.

That means:

• Investing in community-driven solutions
• Strengthening the capacity of community organizations and public agencies to partner more effectively
• Amplifying the voices of those most affected by inequities

But this work isn’t up to any one organization alone. Each of us has a role to play in keeping health equity visible. We can all:

• Speak up when health disparities are ignored or dismissed.
• Support policies and organizations committed to racial and health justice.
• Center community voices in decision-making and funding priorities.

Official recognition may come and go. Our commitment cannot. The real question is not whether National Minority Health Month exists—it’s whether we will continue to act.

The answer must be yes.