GRC Celebrates Black History Month

GRC celebrates Black History Month this February by honoring historical Black leaders in public health and their significant achievements in fighting for health equity. Now more than ever, the pandemic has deepened the discussion on racism as a public health crisis. The COVID-19 vaccine rate for Black Americans is significantly lower than the general population, even though the hospitalization rate for COVID-19 is nearly three times that of white Americans.

Not only does Black History Month serve as an opportunity to reflect on the historical richness and significance of the Black experience in America, it is also a time for all of us at GRC to continue to reaffirm and strengthen our commitment to eliminating health disparities for Black people each and every day.

	Paul B. Cornely Dr. Paul B. Cornely was the first Black person to receive a DrPH in 1934 and went on to become the first Black person elected as President of the American Public Health Association. He led the desegregation of U.S. hospitals.
	Marilyn Hughes Gaston Dr. Marilyn Hughes Gaston dedicated her career to medical care for underserved families. Her study on sickle cell disease played a pivotal role in today's nationwide screening programs for newborns. In 1990, Dr. Gaston became director of the Bureau of Primary Health Care, making her the first African American woman to direct a Public Health Service Bureau.
	Vickie Mays Dr. Vickie Mays is an expert in health policy, specifically the health disparities affecting minority populations, in particular the African American community. She is founder of the Bridging Research, Innovation and Training Center at UCLA, which is dedicated to eliminating health disparities in ethnic minorities and members of the LGBTQ community.
	William "Bill" Carter Jenkins Accomplished epidemiologist, Dr. William "Bill" Carter Jenkins, devoted his career to fighting racism in health care, including exposing the unethical Tuskegee study. He co-founded the Society for the Analysis of African-American Public Health Issues (SAAPHI), an APHA-affiliated organization focused on eliminating health disparities and racism.
	Joycelyn Elders Dr. Joycelyn Elders is a longtime advocate of adolescent and reproductive health policy. As the first African American and only the second woman to be named U.S. Surgeon General, Elders devoted her career championing initiatives aimed at increasing access to quality health care and advocating for racial equality in medicine.