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This is a website where Black/African Descent students, faculty, staff and alumni can come to learn about resources at UIC specifically targeted to meet their needs. Although UIC has a plethora of resources, finding them can be a challenge. This website aims to eliminate that challenge by creating a ‘one stop shop’ with links to dedicated resources, highlights of Black Excellence, upcoming events and more.
"I’m really excited that young folks are really taking charge of their health and making sure that they understand what’s going on."
Check out our latest podcast featuring UIC alum, Karie Stewart.
Stewart is a certified nurse-midwife with UI Health Mile Square Health Center and the University of Illinois Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology. Over the past seven years, she has dedicated her career to providing comprehensive midwifery care, primarily serving communities on Chicago’s South Side. In 2023, Stewart was promoted to the inaugural role of director of the UI Health Mile Square Women’s Health Institute of Excellence. Under her leadership as principal investigator, the institute was awarded a $2 million HRSA grant to examine maternal and child healthcare delivery in a Federally Qualified Health Center – the UI Health Mile Square Health Center’s Auburn Gresham location.
Stewart earned her master’s degree in nursing from the University of Illinois Chicago and her master’s degree of public health from Southern Illinois University Carbondale. As a fellow of the American College of Nurse-Midwives, she received their prestigious Excellence in Leadership and Innovation Award in 2023 for her commitment to her community, patients and profession as demonstrated through her service, leadership and research.
In 2019, Stewart founded Melanated Midwives, a nonprofit organization that provides financial support to students of color training to be midwives.
Data and Reports on the UIC African American Community
Chancellor's Committee on the Status of Blacks
The Chancellor’s Committee on the Status of Blacks (CCSB) is an advisory body dedicated to promoting the academic, professional, cultural and social welfare of the Black community as well as providing leadership on the history, needs and resources of said population at the University of Illinois at Chicago. To do this, the various subcommittees of the CCSB focus on a variety of facets of UIC life such as representation, climate, policies, services, and practices that affect Black faculty, staff and students. The CCSB makes recommendations to the chancellor addressing these issues as well as developing, initiating and managing programs that further address the comprehensive concerns of the Black community. The CCSB is enthusiastic about working collaboratively with diverse communities on campus and building relationships with off-campus Black community organizations in order to help develop and maintain a supportive environment for all members of the university’s diverse population.
African American Advisory Council
The UIC African American Advisory Council was established in 2014 to act as a key advisor to the University to ensure the necessary access, achievement, inclusion, and engagement of African Americans in all sectors of the UIC community; foster communication and networking among UIC African American students, alumni, faculty, and staff; develop policies and practices that will positively impact the African American experience at UIC; and steward opportunities that lead to sustained and mutually beneficial community engagement and partnerships.