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In This Issue:
BWH commemorated Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. by hosting two ceremonies that brought to light his legacy and inspired audiences with his long-lasting vision. Both ceremonies invited the BWH community to mark the holiday with tributes from guest speakers and local entertainment.
On January 14, BWH’s Organizational Development, Training and Diversity Management hosted an event featuring guest speaker Horace Seldon, a local civil rights activist and founding director of the anti-racism organization Community Change, Inc. The audience took part in the participatory reading of the “I Have A Dream” speech. The Tobin School’s fifth grade chorus also provided song at various points throughout the program.
During a Partners Healthcare-sponsored tribute, professor Anita F. Hill—lawyer, educator, author, and activist—addressed the audience. She emphasized the upcoming 50th anniversary of the Brown v. Board of Education Supreme Court decision to end racial segregation in the public school system. Hill discussed the case’s correlation to MLK day, saying both reveal the true promise of equality in all of us.
“In 1959, King said we are the generation of integration. To me, that means we must truly embrace diversity,” said Hill. “Maybe we will be the generation of democracy. Democracy and equality go hand-in-hand but neither preserves the other.”
BWH President Gary L. Gottlieb, MD, MBA; Vice President of HR Cheryl Locke; Director of Organizational Development, Training and Diversity Management Robin Vann Ricca; and Chief of the Division of Women’s Health Paula A. Johnson, MD, MPH also addressed the full house.
“His vision is breathtaking and inspiring, and we continue to be impacted today. By definition, we must be diverse and embrace the talent of every ethnicity,” said Gottlieb.