When Dr. Maxie Collier became Baltimore’s health commissioner in 1987, he was the first Black person to ever lead the Baltimore City Health Department.
Collier, who served in that role until 1990, was well aware of how health outcomes were intertwined with other socioeconomic issues — and how they disproportionately impacted Black Baltimoreans, low-income residents, and other marginalized communities, Mayor Brandon Scott said.
“Dr. Collier was a visionary leader who recognized that health equity cannot be achieved without addressing systemic injustices,” Scott said. “He knew the impact of social determinants of health – like poverty, racism, and housing instability – and his leadership and advocacy paved the way for many of the public health initiatives that we continue to champion today.”
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