April 3, 2025
Goler Blount prepares her farewell as president of the Black Women’s Health Imperative after leading the organization for over a decade.
After 11 years of connecting with millions of Black women and girls across the United States, Black Women’s Health Imperative President Linda Goler Blount is stepping down from her position with the Atlanta-based organization.
As she prepares to resign this month, Goler Blount reflected on her rewarding experience leading the Black Women’s Health Imperative over the last 11 years. In the April 2 announcement, the health justice leader thanked the organization’s team for their contributions and support with initiatives that have kept Black women in focus. “Not only have we brought to the forefront the health challenges and injustices Black women in this country continue to face,” Goler Blount said, “but we secured landmark legislation that has allowed Black women in this country to have access to breast cancer screening and treatment, access to reproductive healthcare, and significantly reduce their risk for type 2 diabetes.”
The Black Women’s Health Imperative is committed to continuing Goler Blount’s progress since she helmed the position in 2014. Under her presidency, the organization expanded into an $18 million leading national institution for Black women’s health research, advocacy, policy, and program delivery. The organization was significantly involved in legislation such as the reauthorization of the Protecting Access to Lifesaving Screenings (PALS) Act. The policy permitted screening mammograms at 40 compared to the previous age of 50. In 2024, the organization released its “Black Women Vote: 2024 Health Policy Guide,” as previously mentioned by BLACK ENTERPRISE. “The challenges we face as a community—especially the recent attacks on reproductive freedoms—underscore the need for transformative leadership,” she said. Goler Blount’s leadership has secured several campaign collaborations with celebrities and brands like singers Mary J. Blige and Ciara, the NFL, and the WNBA.
Goler Blount told BE in 2023 that being selected as president of the Black Women’s Health Imperative was an incredible privilege. “Ten years ago, the board picked me,” she said at the time. “They picked my vision. They picked my passion, and that’s not lost on me.”
She completes over a decade of service with great love and respect from the Black Women’s Health Imperative Board. “When I founded BWHI, it was about creating a movement where Black women’s health was front and center—unapologetically. This moment is a continuation of that vision. It’s not a pause—it’s a progression,” said organization founder Byllye Avery. “I am deeply grateful to Linda for the way she elevated this organization and expanded both its mission and impact.”
As the board undergoes an executive search process, Michelle Minus Swittenberg, EVP of Enterprise Operations, and Lisa Cunningham, EVP of Marketing and Communications, will serve as interim co-presidents.
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