Healing Through Storytelling: Dr. David Fakunle on Arts, Culture, and Public Health

Today, we revisit my 2023 conversation with Dr. David Fakunle, a storyteller, scholar, and public health expert whose work embodies the healing potential of the arts. Dr. Fakunle’ s  own story from a boy in Baltimore to a leader in public health and cultural advocacy is deeply rooted in his belief that storytelling and creativity are essential to individual and community well-being. Dr. Fakunle discusses his various roles, including his faculty positions at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Morgan State University, and the University of Florida Center for Arts and Medicine. As the president of the Association of  Black Storytellers and the executive director of WombWork Productions, he emphasizes the importance of storytelling in public health, highlighting how it can address complex issues like HIV, violence, and trauma in ways that traditional approaches often cannot. Dr. Fakunle’ s work is a testament to the capacity of creativity in transforming lives and communities. Recorded at WEAA at Morgan State University, this episode is illustrates the enduring power of storytelling and its vital—if underutilized-- role in public health.