Black History

Black History Month, Wellness and Healing Going Forward

NNPA NEWSWIRE — “Throughout history, Black people set out to build hospitals, medical and nursing schools, and community clinics, all through self-determination and social support initiatives. This, along with the doulas, birth workers, midwives, herbalists, and naturopaths throughout the African diaspora, acknowledges the legacy of Black scholars and practitioners in Western medicine,” said Pastor Rondall Leggett of the First Missionary Baptist Church in Marin City.

Published

3 years ago

February 25, 2022

Oakland Post

Lincoln School for Nurses in 1915. New York Public Library photo. Bottom left: Deacon Reginald Lyles of Allen Temple Baptist Church. Bottom right: Dr. John Henry Jordan, his wife, Mollie, and son, Edward. Image courtesy Karen Jordan.

By Godfrey Lee

This year’s Black History Month celebrations embraced the theme of Black health and wellness, including mental and spiritual health. “Throughout history, Black people set out to build hospitals, medical and nursing schools, and community clinics, all through self-determination and social support initiatives. This, along with the doulas, birth workers, midwives, herbalists, and naturopaths throughout the African diaspora, acknowledges the legacy of Black scholars and practitioners in Western medicine,” said Pastor Rondall Leggett of the First Missionary Baptist Church in Marin City.

Dr. John Henry Jordan and the Lincoln School for Nurses are two examples.

Jordan (1870-1912) was the first Black doctor and surgeon in Coweta County, Georgia. He built the first hospital for Blacks in Coweta County and organized a Medical Aid Organization in which he taught his patients about health and hygiene.

The Lincoln School for Nurses, founded in 1898 in Bronx, N.Y., was the first nursing school for Black women. A total of 1,864 Black nurses had graduated from the school when it closed in 1961.

There will be two events, both on Sunday, February 27, in Marin City that will close out the Black History Month’s celebrations in Marin City.

The first event will be the 10:15 a.m. service at the First Missionary Baptist Church (FMBC), located at 501 Drake Ave. in Marin City. Deacon Reginald Lyles, professor of Old Testament studies at the Leadership Institute at Allen Temple, will be giving his message. Lyles will be the last speaker in the FMBC’s series of messages on “Black Health and Wellness: Where Do We Go From Here?” which is based on I Thessalonians 5:23-24.

The Ministerial Alliance in Marin City will host a service, “Break The Silence – A Time of Hope and Healing Service” from 4:00 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. at the Cornerstone Community Church in Christ, located on 626 Drake Avenue in Marin City. The service will close out this year’s Black History Month programming in Marin City. Its purpose is to bring the community together and turn the pain of the past into purpose and power for the future.

The “Break the Silence’ Service is an in-person event in a COVID-19 friendly environment. You can also tune in through Facebook Livestream, or on Zoom, with the Zoom Meeting ID: 639 704 6444 and the password 944289.