School of Medicine Celebrates Black History Month
The School of Medicine celebrated Black History Month in February with several events held throughout the campus. February also brings with it the Lunar New Year, one of the most significant holidays of the Asian and Pacific Islander communities.
Interim Chancellor Dr. Steve Nelson noted that the theme for this year's Black History Month, Black Health and Wellness, was timely. In an email to the campus he stated, “The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic shined a glaring spotlight on the health disparities still so prevalent today. As a health care university whose faculty, residents, fellows, and students have historically cared for vulnerable and underserved patients, we are also conducting research and collaborating with other experts to make a real difference in addressing and correcting these disparities. We are committed to changing the face of healthcare through each new generation of students and graduates so that it looks more like the people we serve.”
The School of Medicine Office of Diversity and Community Engagement hosted the video screening of The Power to Heal as narrated by Danny Glover. The video is a historical account of the civil rights struggle and legislation to dismantle hospital segregation across the country. The video screening was followed by an in-person panel discussion with invited physicians who have had a lived experience with the struggle for equity in healthcare in Louisiana. The panel discussion featured Dr. Ernest Kinchen of Lafayette, the first African American resident in Tulane/Charity Hospital in 1965, and Dr. Kenneth Brown, the first African American physician to complete residency training with LSU at Charity Hospital in 1975.
“The Power to Heal video provided a critically important review of the history of structural racism
in medicine, which was empowered by governmental and health system policy, as well
as the medical pioneers who helped dismantle the system,” said Associate Dean of Diversity
and Community Engagement Dr. Robert T. Maupin, Jr. “The pioneering Louisiana physicians
who broke ground in integrating graduate medical education training at LSU and Charity
Hospital provided a powerful testament of resilience and courage. They demonstrated
a legacy of leadership, service, and community advocacy in advancing healthcare access
for patients in Louisiana who historically had been subjected to discrimination in
their healthcare,” he added.
The Office of Diversity and Inclusion and the Student Council for Equity-Focused Leaders
hosted a film screening of Resilience. To view the film, log on virtually any time: https://vimeo.com/showcase/9246062 password: roco0222
The Office of Diversity and Inclusion also hosted the Health Equity Discussion Series: Intro to Health and Healthcare Equity, as well as a Practitioner Perspectives Panel later in the month. The Office also held two yoga and meditation events in partnership with Magnolia Yoga.
The School of Graduate Studies hosted Zoom a Scientist: Outreach with Alice Heart. The School of Public Health hosted Hallway Conversation with Amy Stelly: A Historic Inequity: The History of the Claiborne Expressway.
The Schools of Nursing and Allied Health Professions held a Black History Month Trivia Night.
Dr. Nelson noted that February also marked the celebration of the Lunar New Year, a holiday that millions of people around the world, including many from LSU Health New Orleans, take part in annually.
“The Lunar calendar is represented by zodiac animals, and we can appreciate that 2022 is the Year of the Tiger,” he said. “These observances afford us the opportunity to learn more about each other and celebrate our diversity. As the late Desmond Tutu reminded us, ‘Differences are not intended to separate, to alienate. We are different precisely in order to realize our need of one another.'”
To learn more about Black History Month, visit the Association for the Study of African American Life and History, here.
To learn more about Lunar New Year celebrations, history, and traditions, visit the Smithsonian's National Museum of Asian Art here.