Sarah Stevenson Tuesday Forum | Charlotte

  • Home
  • Invited Speakers
  • Archives
    • Announcement Archives
    • Current Announcements
    • Articles By Date
    • Articles By Name
    • By Subject
    • View All Articles
  • Watch Live
  • About Us
    • Who We Are
    • Where Forum has met
    • Financials
    • Commentary
    • Participant Directory
    • Contact

They did overcome: Pioneer Black nurses as hospitals desegregated

March 21, 2023 Education & Health

From left: Cynthia Howard, Vivian Richardson, Maxine Eaves and Barbara Alston.

March 21, 2023

The Hill-Burton Act embodied President Truman’s determination to make hospital care available to all. The prime goal, to increase beds nationwide, was achieved in 1980. To get federal support, however, Hill-Burton required entities like Charlotte Memorial Hospital to desegregate all of  its staff departments.

Four women presenting at the Forum this morning lived through this tumultuous time. Doors that had been slammed in their faces, by nursing schools or hospitals, began to crack open. Sometimes they were the only Black nurse in a department. They persevered.

For younger people who have never experienced those slamming doors, there is much to learn from this discussion in the video below. One: The pioneers looked out for one another, told each other about job openings, helped the next generation grasp the material for the upcoming license exams.

As he was recognized to offer the last question of the morning, early childhood educator Dr. Thomas Moore broke into song with, ‘Did you ever know you’re my shero and everything I’d like to be…”

 

https://www.tuesdayforumcharlotte.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/230321Nursing.m4v

 

Next Education & Health Article
Autism: Nurturing, advocating for people who struggle to communicate or interact
Previous Education & Health Article
Physician-turned-author offers ways to eat more healthfully

Join Us

Masks are optional, parking is free, and coffee is available each week by 8:15 at the Belmont Center. Join us! Details here.

On YouTube

Join us on YouTube, where Forum meetings first appear as livestreams and then later as edited, archived video.

Sign up for e-mails

Click here to sign up for 2 e-mails per week: Sunday night with speaker's name; and after meeting, Announcements.

Return to Top | Sarah Stevenson photo credit: Jones Photography | Site design by Five J's Design