book talks co-sponsored with PBS Books featuring Harriet A. Washington and Dr. Sandro Galea; our Second Annual ASALH Book Prize Award; and special programming from the ASALH Manhattan Branch. The Black History Month Virtual Festival is our major Black History Month event of the year, and we would be honored to have you.
A highlight of this year’s Festival is a moderated conversation with ASALH President W. Marvin Dulaney and a President of a Historically Black Medical School and professional health organizations. This event will take place Saturday, February 19, 2022, from 2:00 to 4 pm. EST. These include: Cheryl Lee-Butler, President-Elect of the National Dental Association; Dr. Joseph L. Wright, Chief Health Equity Officer at the University of Maryland Medical System; Dr. David Carlisle, President and CEO of Charles R. Drew University of Medicine (CDU) and Science; and finally, Dr. Rachel Villanueva, President of the National Medical Association. The conversation will cover a broad landscape of topics addressing Black Health and Wellness, from the historical significance of the establishment of Black medical schools and professional organizations, and the scientific contributions of Black medical professionals to contemporary issues related to health disparities, diversity, equity, and inclusion in the health professions, medical ethics, and public trust in medical practice.
Our founder, Dr. Carter G. Woodson, initiated Negro History Week in the second week of February 1926. In 2022 ASALH will mark the 96th observance of what has become Black History Month. This festival continues and expands the tradition of our Black History luncheon. This virtual event, which will be celebrated throughout the entire month of February, recognizes the leading role of African Americans in history and will be broadcast via Zoom and ASALH TV.
As ASALH National President, Dr. Dulaney has stated, “The theme of Black Health and Wellness not only addresses the history of healthcare in the African American community, it is also a historical examination of the financial and economic health and wellness of African Americans. Broadening and expanding the theme to address what some historians and health care professionals call the “social and economic determinants'' of health and wellness allows us to show the interconnectedness of a number of historical, social and economic factors on Black Health and Wellness.”
This new set of events is a stellar opportunity to join with us in commemorating the extraordinary role of Black people in shaping the nation and world. As America confronts its past, we affirm the resiliency of people of African descent, demonstrated over generations by Black families and communities.
The theme for 2022 focuses on the importance of Black Health and Wellness. This theme honors the legacy of not only Black scholars and medical practitioners in Western medicine, but also other ways of knowing (e.g., birth workers, doulas, midwives, naturopaths, herbalists, etc.) throughout the African Diaspora. The 2022 theme considers activities, rituals and initiatives that Black communities have done to be well.
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