From Emancipation to eHealth: How Juneteenth Pioneers Paved the Way for Telehealth's Promise (and Our Unfinished Work)

Written By April Noel

This Juneteenth, as we commemorate the profound moment of liberation for enslaved people in the United States, it's essential to recognize that the fight for freedom was never just about physical emancipation. It was, and continues to be, a struggle for full human dignity, which inextricably includes the right to health and well-being. Looking back, we can draw a direct line from the unwavering resolve of Juneteenth pioneers to the very existence and aspirations of modern telehealth, even as we acknowledge the significant work that remains.

The cruel reality of slavery and the subsequent era of Jim Crow laws systematically denied Black Americans equitable access to healthcare. Research consistently highlights how Black communities faced (and still face) profound disparities, including limited or no access to formal medical care, unethical experimentation, and prejudiced treatment (Kaiser Family Foundation, 2023; PBS, 2020). This historical context is crucial: the sheer absence of accessible, dignified care for Black communities created an urgent, existential demand for innovative solutions in healthcare delivery.

Here's how the foundational contributions of Juneteenth pioneers, through their fight for justice, laid the groundwork for telehealth advancements:

  1. Exposing and Challenging Healthcare Disparities: The very act of seeking freedom and civil rights inherently exposed the deep-seated health inequities. The fight for basic human rights brought to light the desperate need for a healthcare system that served all people, not just a privileged few. This awareness, born from centuries of struggle, continues to fuel the modern movement for health equity, which telehealth is a critical tool in addressing by reaching underserved populations (Kaiser Family Foundation, 2023).

  2. Advocating for Basic Access to Services: The core of the Civil Rights Movement, inspired by the spirit of Juneteenth, was a relentless demand for access—access to education, voting, and crucially, essential services like healthcare. When traditional, segregated systems failed, Black communities, often through self-reliance and community-based initiatives, sought ways to meet their health needs.

  3. Laying the Groundwork for Community-Based Health Initiatives: In the absence of a just healthcare system, Black communities often developed their own networks of care, from informal healing practices to the establishment of Black-controlled hospitals and medical schools (National Library of Medicine, 2016). This enduring spirit of community support and self-determination foreshadowed the importance of decentralized and accessible care delivery. Telehealth, by enabling care directly in homes or local community settings, aligns with this historical precedent of community-focused health.

  4. Highlighting the Need for Innovation in Healthcare Delivery: The immense health burdens and systemic exclusion faced by Black Americans underscored an urgent need for revolutionary approaches to care. While the pioneers weren't inventing digital tools, the circumstances they confronted implicitly demanded creative ways to deliver care where it was most needed, bypassing discriminatory structures. Telehealth, in its essence, represents such an innovative leap, demonstrating how technology can bridge gaps that traditional systems could not or would not (Cambridge University Press, 2021).

  5. Inspiring Future Generations of Black Healthcare Professionals and Advocates: The legacy of Juneteenth and the Civil Rights movement inspired countless individuals to enter the medical field and champion health equity. Figures like Dr. Daniel Hale Williams, who founded the first non-segregated hospital, or Dr. Myra Adele Logan, a pioneering surgeon, broke barriers and directly addressed the disparities of their time (Eko Health, 2024). Today, Black healthcare leaders like Dr. Bill Releford are leveraging digital health technologies to tackle disparities in communities, demonstrating a continued commitment to the mission of accessible and equitable care (Bloom Ranch, 2024).

The Unfinished Work: Bridging the Digital Divide for True Equity

While telehealth holds immense promise in dismantling contemporary health disparities, we must acknowledge that the fight for true equity is far from over. The "digital divide"—the gap in access to reliable internet, devices, and digital literacy—disproportionately affects the very communities that stand to benefit most from telehealth: people of color, older adults, and those with lower incomes (Johns Hopkins, 2025; URAC, 2024).

Research from Johns Hopkins highlights that "digital health care tools... for many underserved populations, barriers such as limited broadband access, low digital literacy, and cultural mismatches in technology design exacerbate existing health disparities" (Johns Hopkins, 2025). Studies also show that individuals with non-English language preferences and older individuals experiencing homelessness face significant technical and communication barriers to video visits (NEXUS 2025, 2025).

As we continue to advance telehealth, CTeL recognizes that our gratitude to Juneteenth pioneers must be more than symbolic. It must be active and sustained:

  • Investing in Broadband Infrastructure: Equitable access to high-speed internet is the bedrock of telehealth equity. We must advocate for policies and funding that close the broadband gap in rural and underserved urban areas.

  • Promoting Digital Literacy and Support: Providing resources and training to help individuals navigate digital health tools is crucial. This includes culturally sensitive approaches and support for diverse linguistic needs.

  • Designing Inclusive Solutions: Telehealth platforms must be designed with the diverse needs of all communities in mind, ensuring usability, privacy, and cultural relevance.

  • Addressing Policy Barriers: We must continue to advocate for policies that ensure fair reimbursement for telehealth services, support innovative models of care delivery, and prevent new forms of discrimination from emerging in the digital health space.

This Juneteenth, let's honor the legacy of those who fought for freedom by rededicating ourselves to achieving health equity for all. Telehealth offers a powerful pathway forward, but only if we intentionally address the digital divides that threaten to perpetuate the very disparities the Juneteenth pioneers worked so tirelessly to overcome.

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April Noel
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