Small Steps Healing Project
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Small Steps Healing Project •
Bridging community organizations, practitioners, and institutions to increase geographical and economical access to acupuncture and holistic healing for historically marginalized populations in Boston and beyond.
The “Small Steps” we’ve taken in our first pilot in the summer of 2022:
Held eight pop-up clinics in Dorchester, Mattapan, Roxbury, and other Boston neighborhoods from August - October 2022.
Worked with 170+ community members using acupuncture, acupressure, reiki, and sound healing.
72.1% identified as African American, 15% as White, 10% as Asian American, 2.9% as LatinX
50.6% sought relief from stress, and 26% from pain
96% were interested in continuing holistic healing treatments
Created a predominantly POC and allies network of Boston holistic healers.
Dr. Tolbert Small
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Dr. Tolbert Small •
Dr. Small is a physician activist in Oakland, California, known for his work with the Black Panther Party from 1970 to 1974, where he was the party’s doctor. He was also one of the first American doctors to practice acupuncture after visiting China in 1972. Inspired by the barefoot doctor’s movement, where lay people received basic training in Western and Chinese medicine to provide free healthcare for rural communities, Dr.Small returned home to integrate acupuncture into his Western practice. He has used acupuncture for pain relief for the past fifty years, treating thousands of patients.
According to a 2012 NIH study, 33.2 % of the US adult population have utilized Complementary and Integrative Medicine (CIM). Only 19.3% are Black and Brown. Studies have shown that racial discrimination within biomedical settings correlates with higher CIM utilization (Shippee et al. 2012) by historically marginalized populations, while economic and geographic barriers are negative predictors (Saper 2016, Chao & Adler 2018). In response, we developed a model that brings free CIM services to Boston residents of historically marginalized backgrounds. This project is inspired by Tolbert Small, MD (pictured above), one of the first American doctors to practice acupuncture. Small witnessed acupuncture for the first time in 1972 on a trip to China with the Black Panther Party. He returned home to incorporate acupuncture into his general practice. He has treated thousands since, often doing house calls and pro bono treatments (Meng 2021).
The Small Steps Project serves as a bridge between institutions, practitioners, community organizations, and patients: securing sponsorships to fund practitioners and bring free healing to patients at spaces chosen by local community organizations.
Dr. Mutulu Shakur
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Dr. Mutulu Shakur •
We are also inspired by Mutulu Shakur (seen on the right), Tupac’s stepfather, who brought acupuncture to the Lincoln Detox Hospital in the South Bronx as an alternative to methadone in the early 1970s. The Lincoln team developed the National Acupuncture Detoxification Association (NADA) protocol which is now used by over 25,000 practitioners for pain relief and substance use management.
Additional resources
These videos describe our influences for the Small Steps Project — namely, Dr. Tolbert Small and Mutulu Shakur. This lesser-known history reveals that communities of color have long utilized complementary and integrative medicine as a way to take healthcare into their own hands.
