It’s troubling to read headline after headline about pregnant Black women not receiving necessary medical attention during labor - one of the most vulnerable times in their lives. We know of Tori Bowie and Serena Williams because of their star power, but this reality applies to Black women, known and unknown, who face a maternal health crisis in America. According to the Centers for Disease Control data, Black maternal mortality exceeds that of Hispanics and non-Hispanic whites by more than twofold. Here in Louisiana, we have one of the highest maternal mortality rates in the country.

Community Engagement, Research, Faculty & Staff, Educational Leadership

New Orleans – For 90 years, Xavier University of Louisiana’s resilient opera program has stood as a pillar against disparity in the arts. Established only nine years after the founding of the university it calls home, the program began in 1943 and was founded during a time when Jim Crow-related exclusion of African-descended communities from the arts was common. Since its inception, the Xavier opera program has significantly impacted New Orleans culture by producing fully staged grand operas with a full orchestra and an all-Black, majority-student cast for integrated audiences. Now, as Xavier prepares to celebrate 100 years of service, the Xavier Opera Workshop is proud to announce its spring production, “The Pirates of Portsmouth.” The comic opera will be presented fully staged on Thursday, April 18th and Friday, April 19th, at 7 p.m. in the university’s historic Administration Auditorium.

Student Life, Arts & Sciences

For nearly 100 years, Xavier University of Louisiana’s College of Pharmacy has remained true to its goal of eliminating health disparities. For the last 17 years, the College of Pharmacy has hosted its Health Disparities Conference to addresses community engagement, policy, practice, education workforce, and science in the hopes of promoting and achieving health equity. This year, the 17th Health Disparities Conference will be held from April 7 - 9th at the Sheraton New Orleans. Themed “Social Detriments to Health: Reaching Equity – Let’s Talk Solutions,” the in-person conference promises to provide attendees with a multi-perspective view of concerns and issues related to health disparities and health equity while highlighting solutions that use public health approaches to achieve health equity.

Academics, Research, Graduate School, Educational Leadership, Community Engagement, College of Pharmacy, Arts & Sciences, Faculty & Staff, Partner Programs