The Heersink School of Medicine Office for Diversity and Inclusion, in collaboration with its Black and African American Faculty Association, hosted its second annual Juneteenth Commemoration on June 17, 2024. Roughly 200 students, faculty, and staff gathered in the Margaret Cameron Spain Auditorium for this significant event.
The program began with welcoming remarks from Anupam Agarwal, MD, Senior Vice President of Medicine and Dean of Heersink School of Medicine, who discussed the importance of celebrating Juneteenth nationally and within the School. As he explained, Juneteenth serves as an annual reminder to continue dismantling systemic barriers to help create a healthcare environment that is equitable for all patients. He expressed gratitude to the attendees, stating, “Your presence is a testament to our shared commitment to promoting inclusion within our healthcare community.”
Mona Fouad, MD, MPH, Senior Associate Dean for Diversity and Inclusion in Heersink School of Medicine, introduced the program, emphasizing Juneteenth as a pivotal moment in African American history and underscoring its connections to art, history, music, and healthcare. Danielle Powell, MD and Farah Lubin, PhD—co-leaders of the Office for Diversity and Inclusion Black and African American Faculty Association—followed with an overview of the Association’s mission and the significance of Juneteenth.
As Powell and Lubin explained, Juneteenth, a combination of June and nineteenth, commemorates the day in 1865 when the Emancipation Proclamation was fully enforced across the United States, freeing 250,000 enslaved Black people in Texas.
Building on this historical context, Lubin and Powell introduced the event’s lineup, which featured a saxophone performance by Joshua Bennett and poetry readings by Salaam Green, Birmingham’s first poet laureate. Bennett performed a soulful rendition of Nina Simone’s “Feeling Good,” a song emphasizing themes of optimism, liberation, and empowerment. Although unable to attend in person, Green shared her powerful poems “Freedom Call” and “Proclamation to the City, What Must We Do - Birmingham” in a recorded video.
Willie Williams, Jr. and Sr., owners of Studio 2500, then provided an overview of their artworks displayed in the lobby for attendees to view after the program. Inspired by notable figures of Black history like Marvin Gaye and Serena Williams, Willie Williams, Jr. shared that his art focuses on themes of freedom, and he expressed his hope that attendees would feel inspired by the spirit of these figures as they navigate their own lives.
Following this, Kate Crawford, Jade Powers, and Laura Woodard from the Birmingham Museum of Art shared a presentation on upcoming exhibitions highlighting Black artists in Alabama. One exhibition, “Hayward Oubre: Structural Integrity,” will feature wire sculptures and abstract paintings by Oubre, while “Determined To Be: The Sculpture of John Rhoden” will showcase over 20 sculptures from Birmingham native Rhoden. Closing their presentation, Laura Woodard discussed the museum’s ongoing efforts to document the experiences of Black artists in Alabama over the past 60 years with the goal of amplifying their voices within Birmingham’s art community.
The second annual Juneteenth commemoration celebrated not only the rich history, culture, and achievements of the Black and African American community but also reinforced Heersink’s commitment to providing equitable and inclusive patient care for all. Dr. Fouad emphasized this in her closing remarks, adding, “Juneteenth can take many forms, and the history of this day impacts every facet of our lives. Now more than ever, it is important to recognize the significance of this day and what it represents for diversity and inclusion in our country and at our school.”