“It starts with me: Shifting priorities to create the beloved community.”
The MLK Committee celebrates and recognizes February as Black History Month, also referred to as African American Heritage Month. Black history is American history, Black culture is American culture, and Black stories are essential to the continuous story of America — our flaws, our struggles, our progress, contributions, goals, and objectives.
The Association for the Study of African American Life and History (ASALH) has themed this year’s Black History Month as “Black Health and Wellness.” Across generations, countless Black Americans have demonstrated profound courage and resilience to help shape our Nation.
The MLK Committee would like for the El Paso Community to recognize and learn about numerous Black pioneers and their contributions in the health care industry in the United States, to name a few:
Dr. Alexa Irene Canady, first female African American neurosurgeon
Dr. James Derham, the first recognized African American physician
Dr. Rebecca Lee Crumpler, first African American woman to earn a medical degree
Dr. James McCune Smith, first African American man to earn a medical degree
Dr. Leonidas Harris Berry, as a renowned gastroenterologist
Dr. Charles Richard Drew, known as the “father of blood banking.”
The MLK Committee remains committed to cultivating a culture of service, equity, and inclusion. Also, the MLK Committee is dedicated to ensuring equality for all people regardless of ethnicity, gender, race, customs, practices, and beliefs.
Warm Regards,
Bishop Albert J. Mays, Jr., MA.ED, ED (c), D.D.
President
MLK Committee
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