Gretchen Long

About the Author

Gretchen Long is a distinguished historian specializing in African American history, with a focus on the intersections of medicine, race, and emancipation in the United States. Her groundbreaking research illuminates the often-overlooked struggles for health equity during periods of profound social upheaval, drawing on archival sources to reveal the agency of enslaved and freed individuals in shaping their medical destinies. As an associate professor at the University of Michigan, Long has contributed significantly to public history initiatives, including museum exhibits and educational programs that bridge academic scholarship with broader audiences. Her work challenges conventional narratives of American healthcare, emphasizing the political dimensions of bodily autonomy and the enduring legacy of slavery on modern racial disparities in medicine.