Byllye Avery

Byllye Yvonne Avery (born October 20, 1937) is an American health activist who centers her efforts on low income African American women. She builds through self-help groups and support networks. Avery is one of the co-founders of the Gainesville (Florida) Women's Health Center and Birthplace, and another birth center also in Gainesville. In 1983 she founded the National Black Women's Heath Project (NBWHP). The organization grew to reach over 22 states and six foreign countries. She made the first Center for Black Women's Wellness, and made the first documentary by African American women on their experiences on reproduction and sexuality. In 2008 she received to Ruth Bader Ginsburg Award for Pioneers in Women's Rights. In January 2009 she became a community host for the first expert-guided online health and wellness network, BeWell.com.