National Black History Month African Americans Locally and Nationally History African Americans make up approximately Carter G. Woodson, founder of the one-third of the patients and employees at the Association for the Study of Negro various Johns Hopkins hospitals—roughly on par Life and History, first proposed a with the percentages in Maryland as a whole. Negro History Week in 1925, seeking to increase awareness of African American contributions throughout American history. Woodson chose the Johns Johns week in February between Abraham Hopkins Hopkins Lincoln’s and Frederick Douglass’ employees* patients* birthdays as the time of celebration. Fifty years after the first such week, 29% 31% President Gerald Ford took the opportunity of the United States bicentennial in 1976 to officially proclaim the month of February as Black History Month, calling on all Americans to “seize the opportunity to honor the too-often neglected accomplishments of black Americans in every area of endeavor throughout our history.” Every president since has continued to proclaim February as Black History Month or, more recently, National African American Johns Hopkins Medicine Office of Diversity and Inclusion © 2021 | [email protected] History Month. African Americans in Baltimore+ 63% African Americans in Washington, D.C.+ 48% African Americans in Maryland+ 31% African Americans in the United States+ 13% DIV2001021 + (2016, estimated) * (Collectively, at the six Johns Hopkins hospitals, Fiscal Year 2017) #HopkinsBetterTogether National Black History Month Celebrating African American Full Professors in Johns Hopkins History faculty as assistant professor. Hildreth was honored in October 1991 2008 for his contributions to medical science by election to the Levi Watkins, M.D. Institute of Medicine, part of the National Academy of Sciences, Department of Surgery became dean of the College of Biological Sciences at University One of the most innovative surgeons, Levi of California, Davis in 2011 and was awarded an honorary Watkins, was the first Black chief resident in doctorate from the University of Arkansas in 2015. Hildreth cardiac surgery at The Johns Hopkins Hospital became the 12th president and chief executive officer of Meharry and the first African American to make full Medical College in Nashville, Tennessee, in 2015. professor of cardiac surgery. A medical pioneer, he was the first surgeon to implant an automatic defibrillator in a human subject — a procedure credited with saving tens 2003 of thousands of lives. In his time at Johns Hopkins from Arthur L. Burnett, II, M.D. 1970 until his death in 2015, he was a constant innovator, Urology helping develop the hospital’s cardiac arrhythmia service and starting the nation’s first postgraduate association. Watkins is responsible for increasing minority representation in the school 2004 Edward E. Cornwell III, M.D. of medicine by 400% during the four years he served on the Department of Surgery school’s admissions committee. Read a tribute to Watkins. 2005 1998 Jackie L. Martin, M.D. David G. Nichols, M.D., M.B.A. Anesthesiology and Critical Care Medicine Anesthesiology and Critical Care Medicine Hoover Adger Jr., M.D., M.P.H. Johns Hopkins Medicine Office of Diversity and Inclusion © 2021 | [email protected] Neil R. Powe, M.D., M.P.H., M.B.A. Pediatrics General Internal Medicine 2006 1999 Anthony N. Kalloo, M.B.B.S., M.D. Benjamin S. Carson, M.D. Gastroenterology and Hepatology Neurological Surgery 2007 2002 Lisa A. Cooper, M.D., M.P.H. James E. Hildreth, M.D., Ph.D. General Internal Medicine Pharmacology and Molecular Science Lisa Cooper, the first Black female full James Hildreth is the first African American professor, is the James F. Fries Professor of at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and a Bloomberg Distinguished Medicine to earn full professorship with tenure Professor at the Johns Hopkins University in basic sciences, and is an internationally School of Medicine and Bloomberg School known AIDS researcher. He graduated magna of Public Health. She is director of the Johns Hopkins cum laude in chemistry in 1979 from Harvard University Center for Health Equity, and Johns Hopkins Urban Health and then went to Oxford University in England as a Rhodes Institute, where she and her transdisciplinary team work DIV2001021 Scholar, graduating with a doctorate in immunology in 1982. with stakeholders from health care and the community to He obtained his medical degree in 1987 from the Johns Hopkins implement rigorous clinical trials, identifying interventions University School of Medicine and joined the Johns Hopkins #HopkinsBetterTogether National Black History Month that alleviate racial and income disparities in social Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery determinants and health outcome. Born in Liberia, West Africa, Cooper witnessed the effects of social deprivation 2014 on the health of many of her fellow citizens and developed Martin A. Makary, M.D., M.P.H. the passion for her career in medicine and public health. In Department of Surgery 2007, she was named a MacArthur Fellow. Cooper has been a devoted mentor and received the David M. Levine Excellence Sherita Hill Golden, M.D., M.H.A. in Mentoring Award from the Department of Medicine, the Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism Sponsorship Award from the Women’s Task Force of the Sherita Hill Golden is the vice president Department of Medicine, the Vice-Dean’s Award for the and chief diversity officer for Johns Hopkins Advancement of Women in Science, the Provost’s Inaugural Medicine and is the Hugh P. McCormick Award for Excellence in Faculty Mentoring, and the Provost’s Family Professor of Endocrinology and Inaugural Award for Excellence in Diversity. Metabolism. She oversees diversity, inclusion and health equity strategy and operations for the Johns Hopkins 2008 University School of Medicine and Johns Hopkins Health Robert E. Bristow, M.D. System. She has executed implementation of Culturally and Gynecology and Obstetrics Linguistically Appropriate Services Standards, staff training for accurate collection of self-identified patient demographic Estelle B. Gaude, M.D. data, a systemwide policy prohibiting patient discrimination Pediatrics toward employees and trainees, and a systemwide unconscious bias and anti-racism train-the-trainer program. During the COVID-19 pandemic, she facilitated mobile community 2011 testing for the underserved in Baltimore City and equitable Maria Oliva-Hemker, M.D. vaccine distribution to nonclinical, minoritized front-line staff Pediatrics across JHM. Golden is a leader in the national discussion Johns Hopkins Medicine Office of Diversity and Inclusion © 2021 | [email protected] Maria Oliva-Hemker is the director of advancing health equity, including supporting Maryland pediatric gastroenterology, hepatology and legislators in drafting health equity policy. nutrition at Johns Hopkins Children’s Center and is the Stermer Family Professor of Pediatric Inflammatory Bowel Disease and Professor of Pediatrics at 2015 the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. Since the Malcolm V. Brock, M.D. appointment to her leadership role, she has more than doubled Surgery/Oncology the number of faculty members and dramatically expanded Felicia Hill-Briggs, Ph.D. the academic clinical practice while enhancing strong research General Internal Medicine and education programs. In 1998, she launched the Pediatric Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) Center at Johns Hopkins, Robert S. D. Higgins, M.D. which specializes in the evaluation, diagnosis and treatment Department of Surgery of hundreds of children and teens with Crohn’s disease and Robert Higgins is surgeon-in-chief of The ulcerative colitis from all over the world. Although her clinical Johns Hopkins Hospital and the first African practice focuses on inflammatory intestinal disorders such as American division chief at Johns Hopkins. IBD, autoimmune enteropathy, celiac disease and eosinophilic He is a cardiothoracic and heart-lung gastroenteritis, she also sees children with a wide variety of transplant surgeon and a leading authority in gastrointestinal symptoms and concerns. heart and lung transplantation, minimally invasive cardiac surgery and mechanical circulatory support. Higgins is 2013 also the William Stewart Halsted Professor of Surgery and Howard W. Francis, M.D., M.B.A. director of the Department of Surgery at the Johns Hopkins #HopkinsBetterTogether National Black History Month University School of Medicine and the senior associate dean Johns Hopkins Wilmer Eye Institute. She is the first African for diversity and inclusion for the school of medicine. He American promoted to full professor in the history of the has been appointed to the Advisory Committee on Organ Wilmer Eye Institute, and was honored at the Maryland State Transplantation by the Secretary of the Department of Health House in Annapolis with citations from the governor and the and Human Services. general assembly. Solomon’s clinical expertise includes medical and surgical treatment of age-related macular degeneration, diabetic retinopathy, epiretinal membranes, macular holes, and 2016 retinal tears and detachment. Harolyn M. E. Belcher, M.D., M.H.S. Pediatrics, Kennedy Krieger Institute 2019 Rexford S. Ahima, M.D., Ph.D. Otis W. Brawley, M.D. Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center Oncology - Cancer Prevention and Control and Viral Oncology Carol D. Morris, M.D. 2017 Orthopaedic Oncology/ Orthopaedic Surgery Maria Trent, M.D., M.P.H.