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Faith-based health initiatives making a difference for African Americans RESOURCES • African Americans Reach & Teach Ministry http://www.aarth.org • American Conference on Diversity http://www.americanconferenceondiversity.org • Anti-Defamation League http://www.adl.org • The Balm In Gilead, Inc. http://www.balmingilead.org • Berean Community and Family Life Center http://www.bereancommunity.org • National Black Church Initiative http://www.natlblackchurch.com • Not One More Life, Inc. http://www.notonemorelife.org • Our Health Ministry http://www.ourhealthministry.com • The Partnership for African American Churches http://www.paac2.org/ PHOTOGRAPHY LOCATIONS • Brooklyn Bridge, Brooklyn, New York • Mt. Zion Baptist Church, Washington, D.C. • Berean Baptist Church, Brooklyn, New York • Trinity United Church of Christ, Chicago, Illinois • Wesleyan University, Middletown, Connecticut • Sandy Springs, Georgia • Seattle, Washington • Conyers, Georgia • Logan Fire Department, Logan, West Virginia • Beth Shalom B’nai Zaken Ethiopian Hebrew Congregation Chicago, Illinois • Masjid An-Nur, Lithonia, Georgia • The Potter’s House, Dallas, Texas • Richmond, Virginia 00.00.924.1 A 2011 Aetna African American History Calendar 30 t h a n n i v e r s a r y e d i t i o n Healthful Blessings SPECIAL THANKS Raymond Arroyo, Aetna Inc., Hartford, Connecticut Joseph Black, Aetna Inc., Hartford, Connecticut Melvin Butler, Not One More Life, Inc., Atlanta, Georgia Miguel Centeno, Aetna Inc., Hartford, Connecticut Jane Condron, Aetna Inc., Hartford, Connecticut Cary Goodman, The Balm In Gilead, Inc., Richmond, Virginia Floyd Green, Aetna Inc., Hartford, Connecticut Ayisha R. Jeffries, African American Islamic Institute, New York, New York William Kramer, Aetna Inc., Blue Bell, Pennsylvania Regina R. Lewis, APR, The Potter’s House/T.D. Jakes Ministries, Dallas, Texas Maria Mendez, Aetna Inc., Dallas, Texas Shenequal Robertson, The American Diabetes Association, Dallas, Texas Dawn Romberg, Aetna Inc., Hartford, Connecticut Sheeted Shah, Hindu American Foundation, Kensington, Maryland Earnestine Walker, The American Diabetes Association, Alexandria, Virginia CREDITS Produced by Aetna Inc. Hartford, Connecticut Peggy Garrity, Project Manager Project Assistants Myrna Blum Sharon Valechko Photography Lou Jones Studio Boston, Massachusetts Lou Jones, Photographer Photography Assistants Mike DeStefano Matt Kalinowski Keith McWilliams Leah Raymond Andrew Zimnicki Printer Allied Printing, Manchester, Connecticut TO ORDER CALENDARS Additional calendars are available for $4 each. To order please send a check, payable to Aetna, to: Aetna African American History Calendar Corporate Communications, RW3H 151 Farmington Avenue Hartford, CT 06156 Phone: 860-273-0509 Fax: 860-273-6675 Creative Development Pita Group Rocky Hill, Connecticut Lisa Santoro, Creative Director and Designer Kim Pita, Writer © 2010 Aetna Inc. JUDAISM ISLAM BUDDHISM HINDUISM INSPIRE CHRISTIANITY Having Faith in Health For 30 years, Aetna has celebrated African American history through the publication of its African American History Calendar. Over the last decade, we have explored in our calendars diverse health care topics aligning with our own corporate mission and purpose. We continue on that journey, and praise the lives and work of African American leaders across the country. We are pleased to honor individuals and organizations as they move health and wellness messages to the forefront. They are doing this important work by addressing one of the most powerful audiences in the world – the faith community. This calendar celebrates remarkable individuals who have dedicated their lives to inspiring and empowering others to spend time taking care of their minds, bodies and spirit. Christianity, Judaism, Islam, Buddhism and Hinduism…while the religious beliefs among the individuals profiled vary, there is one common desire — to eliminate health disparities in the African American community. They each recognize the influence faith leaders have in making that change happen. We have traveled to large and small churches, a mosque, a fire department, and a college campus to learn how having belief and faith can make a world of difference in the health of so many. Aetna is pleased to present its 30th annual African American History Calendar, celebrating the healthful blessings that have the power to inspire us all. Faith Diverse Efforts Yield Real Results in Health Equality By Rev. Dr. Fred Lucas African American faith leaders across the country are “walking on water” and performing modern-day miracles of healing. They are doing this by creating ministries and programs that encourage people of faith to move beyond stained glass windows, elaborate domes, and prayer halls to serve the larger community. Today, it is more important than ever for African American congregations and faith-based organizations to address health care gaps in their local communities. We are encouraged by the individuals and groups featured in this calendar. They are using their faith practices to improve the health and wellness of their members. They are seeing positive results through their diverse efforts. This is a small sampling of the many faith-filled visionaries working in some of America’s most challenged, yet promising neighborhoods. The work of these faith-based groups is part of African American tradition. From the period of slavery to the present, African American places of worship have been the hub of the African American community. They have responded to social, political, economic, educational and cultural needs. Over decades, the African American faith community has made major contributions. It has helped create hospitals, nursing homes and orphanages specifically for the African American community. Historically black colleges and universities have been formed, and continue to do important work. And this faith community has provided financial support; political power; volunteers; facilities and physical space; media ministries; and “bully pulpits” to develop the body, mind, and soul. Many of today’s African American faith leaders are still preaching to communities in crisis. Death rates among the 41 million African Americans in our country are at least twice as high as those of non-Hispanic whites. This community suffers greatly from cancers (especially prostate, breast, and stomach); and experiences high incidence of heart disease, stroke, asthma, influenza and pneumonia, diabetes, and infant mortality. HIV/AIDS stats are even more alarming. African Americans, who are 13.5 percent of the population, account for 49 percent of all cases. Approximately 24 percent of African Americans rely on public health insurance.1 Almost 20 percent of African Americans are uninsured.2 In so many ways, health equality is a key part of economic progress. There is so much more that can and should be done. The individuals and groups featured in this calendar are beginning to address these health gaps. They do so with diet, exercise, and nutrition education; healthful meal options for church gatherings; and aerobics, liturgical dance, basketball leagues, and marching bands. They also offer substance-abuse programs, culturally and biblically sensitive health literacy materials, health ministries and fairs, preventive services, and early detection. These ministries of healing provide on-site reviews, screening and training, along with medical institutions serving at-risk neighborhoods. Public-/private-sector partnerships are important. More and more nonprofit organizations are obtaining large-scale, outside funding not available to religious groups. We are seeing new doors opening for faithbased groups led by well-trained and semiprofessional clergy and laity. Together with professional staff and dedicated volunteers, we all can make a real difference in the communities where we live and work, and preach and pray. 2011 Aetna African American History Calendar www.aetnaafricanamericanhistorycalendar.com Truly, this year’s Aetna African American History Calendar is a source of education, inspiration and hope! Rev. Dr. Fred Lucas is senior pastor at Brooklyn Community Church; president/CEO of Faith Center For Community Development, Inc. in Brooklyn, New York; and an adjunct faculty member at New York Theological Seminary. 1 U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, The Office of Minority Health, African American Minority Health Profile, 2010, www.minorityhealth.hhs.gov. 2 Ibid. Rev. Anthony Evans President, National Black Church Initiative Washington, D.C. “Faith plays a central role in the lives of African Americans,” said Rev. Anthony Evans, president of the National Black Church Initiative (NBCI). “It is the one constant. Delivering messages in places of worship is how we can get into every single target population.” NBCI is a group made up of 34,000 African American and Latino places of worship from across the country. All faith denominations are represented. The group is working to eliminate racial gaps in health care. It has the resources and the power to deliver health and wellness information nationwide. “Doctors have scientific authority. We have moral authority,” said Rev. Evans. “We have developed an efficient way to deal with the health emergencies that are happening in our communities.” NBCI was founded in 1996 in Washington, D.C., in response to the capital city’s drug problems. Today, it has five regional health commands, including Atlanta, Georgia; New York City; Chicago, Illinois; Dallas, Texas; and Oakland, California. There are 35 health panels set up across the regions. These panels determine the top health issues and ensure information gets out to the people. “We teach the leaders of places of worship how to deliver health messages, preach about healthful lifestyles, and provide health-focused workshops and programs,” said Rev. Evans. “We are in the position to do great things in our communities. This is an opportunity to combine faith with health knowledge.” “We teach the leaders of places of worship how to deliver health messages, preach about healthful lifestyles, and provide health-focused workshops and programs.” – Rev . A n tho n y E van s FAITH January 2011 Sunday Monday Health Tip Make exercise fun. In the winter months, keep your family active with ice skating, skiing or sledding. Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday 1 1863: Abraham Lincoln issues Emancipation Proclamation. New Year’s Day 2 3 4 5 1965: Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. calls for nonviolent protests if Alabama blacks are not allowed to register and vote. 1624: William Tucker, first African child born in America. 1971: The Congressional Black Caucus organized. 1943: George Washington Carver, agricultural scientist and inventor, dies. 9 10 11 12 1866: Fisk University founded in Nashville, Tennessee. 1750: James Varick, first Bishop of the African Methodist Episcopal Zion (A.M.E.Z.) Church, born. 1940: Benjamin O. Davis Sr. becomes U.S. Army’s first black general. 1948: Supreme Court rules blacks have right to study law at state institutions. 6 1831: The World Anti-Slavery Convention opens in London. 13 1990: L. Douglas Wilder inaugurated as first African American governor (Virginia) since Reconstruction. 7 8 1890: William B. Purvis patents fountain pen. 1811: Charles Deslondes leads slave revolt in Louisiana. 14 15 1975: William T. Coleman named secretary of Transportation. 1929: Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., a major voice for civil rights in the 20th century, born. Makar Sankranti 16 17 18 19 1978: NASA names African American astronauts Maj. Frederick D. Gregory, Maj. Guion S. Bluford Jr. and Dr. Ronald E. McNair. 1942: Three-time heavyweight boxing champion Muhammad Ali (Cassius Clay) born. 1856: Dr. Daniel Hale Williams, pioneer heart surgeon, born. 1918: John H. Johnson, editor and publisher of Jet and Ebony magazines, born. 23 24 25 26 1891: Dr. Daniel Hale Williams founds Provident Hospital in Chicago, the first training hospital for black doctors and nurses in the U.S. Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s Birthday Observed 1865: Congress passes 13th Amendment, which, on ratification, abolishes slavery. 30 1954: Dr. Theodore K. Lawless, dermatologist, awarded the Spingarn Medal for research in skin-related diseases. 31 1844: Richard Theodore Greener, first African American to graduate from Harvard, born. 1851: Sojourner Truth addresses first Black Women’s Rights Convention, Akron, Ohio. 2006: Coretta Scott King, widow of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., who enshrined his legacy of human rights and equality, dies. 2011 Aetna African American History Calendar www.aetnaafricanamericanhistorycalendar.com 20 2009: Barack H. Obama sworn in as the 44th president of the United States of America, becoming the first African American to hold the office of U.S. commander-in-chief. 27 1961: Leontyne Price, world-renowned opera singer, makes her Metropolitan Opera debut. 21 22 1870: Hiram Revels elected first black U.S. senator, replacing Jefferson Davis for the Mississippi seat. 2009: Susan Rice confirmed as U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, becoming the first African American woman to represent the nation before the world in this capacity. 28 29 1998: Sarah “Madam C.J.” Walker, first black female millionaire, honored on U.S. postage stamp. 1926: Violette Neatly Anderson becomes first black woman lawyer to argue a case before the Supreme Court. Rev. Byron L. Benton, Associate Pastor and Band Director First Lady Angela F. Griffin, P.T., M.A. Angela Brown, Executive Director Yasmeen Hadaway, Program Manager Berean Community and Family Life Center Brooklyn, New York Brooklyn’s Berean Community and Family Life Center marches to a different beat. Its beat is one that is inspired by Drumline, a program that teaches youth of different faiths about health and wellness through music and step. The students are supported by the Wellness Coalition, which is made up of parents, grandparents and community members. “This is an excellent across-the-generation health promotion,” said First Lady Angela F. Griffin. “We started with six drummers. At first we didn’t have money to buy drums, so students would practice with drumsticks on tabletops,” said Associate Pastor Rev. Byron L. Benton. The group today is nearly 50 strong with drummers and dancers. Rev. Benton has brought his own knowledge from marching band to the youth, teaching them how to step to the music. As part of each student’s involvement in Drumline, they are physically assessed at the center two times a year using the FitnessGram® test. It reviews height; weight; and ability to do push-ups, sit-ups, and walk short and long distances. “We are seeing great results. They are more physically active and losing weight in a healthful way,” said Executive Director Angela Brown. From left to right: Angela Brown, Rev. Byron L. Benton and Yasmeen Hadaway “We are trying to give a sign of hope in our often-negative community that success is an option. We are working hard to build healthful lifestyles,” said Rev. Benton. “No matter where you come from, you fit in here.” HOPE “We are trying to give a sign of hope in our often-negative community that success is an option. We are working hard to build healthful lifestyles.” – R e v . B yro n L . B ent o n February 2011 Health Tip Think of your plate as a pie chart. You should fill up 50 percent of your plate with vegetables, 25 percent with protein and 25 percent with a starch or carbohydrate. Sunday Monday Black History Month Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday 1 2 3 4 1902: Langston Hughes, poet, born. 1915: Biologist Ernest E. Just receives Spingarn Medal for research in fertilization and cell division. 2009: Eric H. Holder Jr. sworn in as the nation’s first African American attorney general. 1913: Rosa Parks, civil rights pioneer who sparked 1955 Montgomery, Alabama, bus boycott, born. Saturday 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 1993: Arthur Ashe Jr., tennis player, humanitarian and activist, dies. 1883: Ragtime pianist and composer Eubie Blake born. 1968: Three South Carolina State students killed during segregation protest in Orangeburg, South Carolina. 1995: Bernard Harris becomes first African American astronaut to walk in space. 1927: Leontyne Price, internationally acclaimed opera singer, born. 1990: Nelson Mandela of South Africa is released from prison after 27 years. 1884: Willis Johnson patents eggbeater. 12 1909: NAACP founded in New York City. Lincoln’s Birthday Parinirvana - Nirvana Day 13 14 1970: Joseph L. Searles becomes first African American member of New York Stock Exchange. 1760: Richard Allen, founder of the African Methodist Episcopal (A.M.E.) Church, born. Valentine’s Day 15 1820: Susan B. Anthony, abolitionist and women’s rights advocate, born. 16 17 1874: Frederick Douglass elected president of Freedman’s Bank and Trust. 1938: Mary Frances Berry, first woman to serve as chancellor of a major research university (University of Colorado), born. Birthdate of Prophet Muhammad 18 1931: Toni Morrison, winner of 1988 Pulitzer Prize for her novel Beloved, born. 19 2002: Vonetta Flowers becomes Winter Olympics’ first African American gold medalist. Magha Puja Nirvana Day (alternative date) 20 21 22 23 24 25 1895: Frederick Douglass, leading voice in the Abolitionist Movement, dies. 1965: Malcolm X assassinated in New York. 2008: Johnnie Carr, major icon of the Civil Rights Movement, dies. 1868: W.E.B. DuBois, scholar, activist and author of The Souls of Black Folk, born. 1864: Rebecca Lee Crumpler becomes first black woman to receive a medical degree (New England Female Medical College). 1853: First black YMCA organized in Washington, D.C. Presidents’ Day Observed 27 28 1897: Marian Anderson, world-renowned opera singer and civil rights activist, born. Washington’s Birthday 1984: Michael Jackson, musician and entertainer, wins eight Grammy Awards. 2011 Aetna African American History Calendar www.aetnaafricanamericanhistorycalendar.com 26 1965: Civil rights activist Jimmie Lee Jackson dies after being shot by state police in Marion, Alabama. Stephanie Joy Jackson-Rowe, B.A., M.S. IMC Founder, President and CEO The Christian Aerobics & Fitness Association Executive Director Joy To Be Fit Gospel Aerobics Ministry© TM Chicago, Illinois Stephanie Joy Jackson-Rowe is on a mission. She hopes to save lives by addressing obesity and other health risks such as diabetes and heart disease among African Americans. A fitness expert and trainer for 20 years, she developed Joy To Be Fit Gospel Aerobics Ministry, a faith-based fitness and wellness program for all ages. Jackson-Rowe is executive director of Joy To Be FitTM, which is associated with 25 places of worship, schools and health centers throughout the Chicago area. It is the premier exercise program of The Christian Aerobics & Fitness Association. She is the pioneer and creator of Gospel Aerobics. “This is a powerful and spiritually moving high-energy workout; designed to unite the spirit and mind, and tone the entire body,” said Jackson-Rowe. “Churches are powerful change agents, where people seek guidance, direction and spiritual motivation. They are pillars of strength,” said Jackson-Rowe. “Joy To Be Fit gives places of worship a partner to lift the lives of people and get them moving! We teach them how to become advocates of their own health and well-being.” “Joy To Be Fit gives places of worship a partner to lift the lives of people and get them moving!” – JOY Stephan i e J o y J ac k s o n - R ow e March 2011 Sunday Monday The Joy To Be Fit program is taught by a certified instructor. It provides participants with health screenings, nutrition workshops, cooking demonstrations, one-on-one life coaching, scripture reference and prayer. It uses inspirational music, including traditional gospel music integrated with funk, soul and jazz. Jackson-Rowe is excited to be actively engaged with Gospel Aerobics in the fight against obesity. She will be touring the country in 2011, sharing her book about the ministry and a workout Gospel Aerobics DVD. Health Tip Jump for joy! Think about the high points of your day. Write them down and try to repeat them more often. Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday 1 2 3 4 5 1914: Ralph W. Ellison, author and educator, born. 1867: Congress enacts charter to establish Howard University. 1865: Freedmen’s Bureau established by federal government to aid newly freed slaves. 1965: Bill Russell of the Boston Celtics honored as NBA’s most valuable player for fourth time in five years. 1770: Crispus Attucks becomes one of the first casualties of the American Revolution. Tibetan (Mahayana) Losar, New Year Maha Shivaratri 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 1857: Supreme Court issues Dred Scott decision. 2006: Photographer-filmmaker Gordon Parks, who captured the struggles and triumphs of black America, dies. 1945: Phyllis M. Daley becomes first black nurse sworn in as a Navy ensign. 1841: Amistad mutineers freed by Supreme Court. 1869: Robert Tanner Freeman becomes first African American to receive a degree in dentistry. 1959: Lorraine Hansberry’s A Raisin in the Sun opens at Barrymore Theater, New York; the first play by a black woman to premiere on Broadway. 1932: Andrew Young, former U.N. ambassador and former mayor of Atlanta, born. Ash Wednesday 13 1773: Jean Baptiste Pointe Du Sable, black pioneer and explorer, founded Chicago. 14 15 16 17 18 19 1956: Montgomery, Alabama, bus boycott ends when municipal bus service is desegregated. 1947: John Lee, first black commissioned officer in the U.S. Navy, assigned to duty. 1827: Freedom’s Journal, the first U.S. black newspaper, is founded. 1890: Charles B. Brooks patents street sweeper. 1971: The Rev. Leon Sullivan elected to board of directors of General Motors. St. Patrick’s Day 1822: The Phoenix Society, a literary and educational group, founded by blacks in New York City. Daylight Saving Time Begins 20 1883: Jan E. Matzeliger patents shoemaking machine. 21 22 23 24 25 26 1965: Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. leads march from Selma to Montgomery, Alabama, for voting rights. 1898: J.W. Smith patents lawn sprinkler. 1873: Slavery abolished in Puerto Rico. 1907: Nurse and aviator Janet Harmon Bragg born. 2009: John Hope Franklin, a prolific scholar of African American history who influenced thinking about slavery and Reconstruction, dies. 1831: Bishop Richard Allen, founder and first Bishop of the African Methodist Episcopal (A.M.E.) Church, dies. 28 29 30 31 1870: Jonathan S. Wright becomes first black state Supreme Court justice in South Carolina. 1918: Pearl Bailey, singer and actor, born. 1870: Fifteenth Amendment ratified, guaranteeing voting rights to blacks. 1988: Toni Morrison wins Pulitzer Prize for Beloved. Holi 27 1924: Jazz singer Sarah Vaughan, “The Divine One,” born. Holi 2011 Aetna African American History Calendar www.aetnaafricanamericanhistorycalendar.com Prof. Jan Willis Religion Department Wesleyan University Middletown, Connecticut As a tenth grader in the ’60s, Prof. Jan Willis marched with the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in Birmingham, Alabama. That moment, which she often still reflects on, changed her life forever. “The nonviolence that I witnessed there is echoed in Buddhism,” she said. Though she grew up a Baptist, she now practices and teaches Tibetan Buddhism at Connecticut’s Wesleyan University. Tibetan Buddhism focuses on three areas of self-reflection – outer, which is physical; inner, which is emotional; and secret, which is spiritual. “Buddhists wish for happiness for all people,” said Prof. Willis. “They live selflessly and practice generosity, reasoning – as King did – that if one of us is unhealthy, we are all unhealthy. We are all responsible for one another.” Prof. Willis said her students are most intrigued by meditation – a common practice in Buddhism. “Meditation is health care for the mind. We lavish attention on our bodies, but rarely give attention to our minds. Meditation offers the opportunity to do this, and to find rest and peace,” she said. In addition to her teaching, Prof. Willis encourages her students to visit a variety of places of worship. “I want them to see that the world’s population is not just made up of the people they see every day,” she said. A teacher, an author, a public speaker and a humanitarian, Prof. Willis said Buddhism gives people space to determine who they are. “We are tough minded but tenderhearted,” she said. “Good health comes from giving yourself time.” PEACE April 2011 Health Tip Reduce stress, laugh more, think positive. Start with 30 minutes a day, then gradually build your positive-thinking time. Sunday “Meditation is health care for the mind.” – Pro f . Jan Willis Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday 1 2 1950: Blood research pioneer Charles R. Drew dies. 1984: Georgetown coach John Thompson becomes first African American coach to win the NCAA® basketball tournament. 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 1826: Poet-orator James Madison Bell, author of the Emancipation Day poem “The Day and the War,” born. 1968: Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. assassinated in Memphis, Tennessee. 1951: Washington, D.C., Municipal Court of Appeals outlaws segregation in restaurants. 1909: Matthew A. Henson reaches North Pole, 45 minutes before Robert E. Peary. 1959: Lorraine Hansberry becomes first black playwright to win New York Drama Critics Circle Award (for A Raisin in the Sun). 1974: Atlanta Braves slugger Hank Aaron hits 715th career home run, surpassing Babe Ruth as the game’s all-time home-run leader. 1816: African Methodist Episcopal (A.M.E.) Church formed. 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 1816: Richard Allen consecrated first Bishop of the African Methodist Episcopal (A.M.E.) Church. 1899: Percy Julian, developer of physostigmine and synthetic cortisone, born. 1983: Harold Washington becomes first African American elected mayor of Chicago. 1997: Tiger Woods wins Masters Golf Tournament. 1775: First abolitionist society in U.S. founded in Philadelphia. 1964: Sidney Poitier becomes first black to win Academy Award® for Best Actor for Lilies of the Field. 1862: Slavery abolished in the District of Columbia. Rama Navami 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 1983: Alice Walker wins Pulitzer Prize for fiction for The Color Purple. 1995: Margo Jefferson receives Pulitzer Prize for criticism. 1972: Stationed in Germany, Maj. Gen. Frederic E. Davidson becomes first African American to lead an Army division. 2010: Dorothy Height, leading female voice of the 1960s civil rights movement, dies. 1966: Pfc. Milton L. Olive III awarded posthumously the Congressional Medal of Honor for valor in Vietnam. 1922: Jazz bassist and composer Charles Mingus born. 1856: Granville T. Woods, inventor of the steam boiler and automobile air brakes, born. Palm Sunday Good Friday Passover Begins (sundown) Theravada New Year 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 1944: United Negro College Fund incorporated. 1918: Ella Fitzgerald, “First Lady of Song,” born. 1888: Sarah Boone patents ironing board. 1968: Dr. Vincent Porter becomes first black certified in plastic surgery. 2009: Sojourner Truth, former slave turned abolitionist, becomes first African American woman to have a memorial in the U.S. Capitol. 1899: Edward Kennedy “Duke” Ellington, jazz musician and composer, born. 1952: Dr. Louis T. Wright honored by American Cancer Society for his contributions to cancer research. Easter Administrative Professionals Day 2011 Aetna African American History Calendar www.aetnaafricanamericanhistorycalendar.com LeRoy M. Graham, Jr., M.D. Founder, Not One More Life, Inc. Atlanta, Georgia When Dr. LeRoy M. Graham, Jr. unexpectedly lost a 10-yearold patient to asthma, he knew he had to do something to prevent unnecessary deaths in the future. He set out to teach his community about the disease and how to recognize signs of an asthma attack. Dr. Graham is a well-respected pediatric pulmonologist in Atlanta, Georgia. Over the years, he has built many strong relationships with health care professionals. Many of his peers agreed to help him teach the African American community about the serious effects of uncontrolled asthma and lung disease. In 2003, Dr. Graham formed the volunteer advocacy organization Not One More Life, Inc. Through outreach in Atlanta’s local faith communities, it provides free educational programs on lung disease, symptom screening and lung-function testing; as well as physician counseling, referral, and outcome monitoring. Not One More Life, Inc. also has expanded to 10 additional cities around the country. The group initially began in a school setting. However, Dr. Graham quickly realized that the best way to connect to people was at places where they worship. “We have the opportunity to reach people in a sacred place where there is trust,” he said. “We take health knowledge to their own turf. This makes people much more comfortable. “Pastors have deep-rooted beliefs in the link between physical health and spiritual health,” he said. “We are working with them to promote the spiritual gift of health. Protecting that gift is a matter of stewardship.” “Pastors have deep-rooted beliefs in the link between physical health and spiritual health.” – LeRoy M. G raham , J r . , M . D. TRUST May 2011 Sunday 1 1867: First four students enter Howard University. 8 1983: Lena Horne awarded Spingarn Medal for distinguished career in entertainment. Health Tip Asthmatics, beware. People with asthma can be especially hard-hit in the heat. Slow down, use air conditioning and avoid smoke, even from a campfire. Monday Tuesday Wednesday 2 3 4 1995: Shirley Jackson assumes chairmanship of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. 1964: Frederick O’Neal becomes first black president of Actors’ Equity Association. 1961: Freedom Riders begin protesting segregation of interstate bus travel in the South. Thursday 5 1988: Eugene Antonio Marino installed as first U.S. African American Roman Catholic archbishop. Friday Saturday 6 7 1991: Smithsonian Institution approves creation of the National African American Museum. 1845: Mary Eliza Mahoney, America’s first black trained nurse, born. 9 10 11 12 13 14 2010: Lena Horne, singer, actress and civil rights activist, dies. 1950: Boston Celtics select Chuck Cooper, first black player drafted to play in the NBA. 1895: Composer William Grant Still, first African American to conduct a major American symphony orchestra, born. 1862: Black slaves commandeer the Confederate ship “The Planter.” 1872: Matilda Arabella Evans, first black woman to practice medicine in South Carolina, born. 1913: Clara Stanton Jones, first black president of the American Library Association, born. 16 17 18 19 20 21 1927: Dr. William Harry Barnes becomes first African American certified by a surgical board. 1954: In Brown v. Board of Education, Supreme Court declares segregation in public schools unconstitutional. 1896: In Plessy v. Ferguson, Supreme Court upholds doctrine of “separate but equal” education and public accommodations. 1993: University of Virginia professor Rita Dove appointed U.S. poet laureate. 1961: U.S. Attorney General Robert Kennedy dispatches U.S. marshals to Montgomery, Alabama, to restore order in the Freedom Rider crisis. 2006: Katherine Dunham, pioneering dancer and choreographer, author and civil rights activist, dies. Mother’s Day 15 1820: Congress declares foreign slave trade an act of piracy, punishable by death. Wesak or Buddha Day 22 1921: Shuffle Along, a musical featuring a score by Eubie Blake and Noble Sissle, opens on Broadway. 29 1901: Granville T. Woods patents overhead conducting system for the electric railway. Armed Forces Day 23 24 25 26 27 28 1900: Sgt. William H. Carney becomes first African American awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor. 1854: Lincoln University (Pa.), first African American college, founded. 1926: Jazz trumpeter Miles Dewey Davis born. 1961: During Kennedy administration, Marvin Cook named ambassador to Niger Republic, the first black envoy named to an African nation. 1942: Dorie Miller, a ship‘s steward, awarded Navy Cross for heroism during the attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941. 1948: National Party wins whites-only elections in South Africa and begins to institute policy of apartheid. 30 31 1965: Vivian Malone becomes first African American to graduate from the University of Alabama. 1870: Congress passes the first Enforcement Act, providing stiff penalties for those who deprive others of civil rights. Memorial Day Observed 2011 Aetna African American History Calendar www.aetnaafricanamericanhistorycalendar.com Rev. Mary Diggs-Hobson Cofounder and Executive Director African-Americans Reach & Teach Health (AARTH) Ministry Seattle, Washington Rev. Mary Diggs-Hobson is on a personal mission to eliminate the health care gaps in African American communities. That’s because her oldest son’s life was cut short in 2007 from chronic kidney and heart disease complicated by HIV/AIDS. “The best way to overcome fear and apathy is to educate people. We all need to know how to better care for ourselves and each other,” said Rev. Diggs-Hobson. “We want to improve the health of our people today for the generations to come.” Rev. Diggs-Hobson and her son, the late Rev. Reginald Diggs, cofounded AARTH Ministry. It is a faith-based nonprofit organization that focuses on health education for African Americans in Alaska, Idaho, Oregon and Washington. The organization was founded based on Christian principles of unconditional love, compassion, communication, integrity, peace, power, wholeness and wisdom. AARTH partners with faith houses to deliver the Health Ministry Program, a faith-centered strategic-planning course. They work to create health strategies that are unique to each place of worship. “If a church takes ownership of its plan, then it will be able to sustain it,” said Rev. Diggs-Hobson. As part of its health education program, AARTH partners with the Northwest AIDS Education and Training Center to offer HIV/AIDS training. AARTH will collaborate with Puget Sound Christian Clinic to launch their mobile medical clinic in 2011 to provide free medical services for people without health insurance. “One of our goals is to help improve the health of the whole community,” Rev. Diggs-Hobson said. WISDOM – R ev. M ary D ig g s -H o bs o n June 2011 Health Tip Share your beliefs and traditions. Spend time with others who share similar spiritual beliefs. Lift up each other when needed. Sunday “The best way to overcome fear and apathy is to educate people.” Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday 1 2 3 4 1968: Henry Lewis becomes first black musical director of an American symphony orchestra — New Jersey Symphony. 1971: Samuel L. Gravely Jr. becomes first African American admiral in the U.S. Navy. 2008: Senator Barack Obama wins Democratic presidential nomination, becoming the first African American nominee of a major U.S. political party. 1967: Bill Cosby receives an Emmy® Award for his work in the television series I Spy. 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 1987: Dr. Mae C. Jemison becomes first African American woman astronaut. 1831: First annual People of Color convention held in Philadelphia. 1917: Poetess Gwendolyn Brooks, first African American to win the Pulitzer Prize (poetry, 1950), born. 1953: Supreme Court ruling bans discrimination in Washington, D.C., restaurants. 1995: Lincoln J. Ragsdale, pioneer fighter pilot of World War II, dies. 1854: James Augustine Healy, first black Roman Catholic bishop, ordained a priest in Notre Dame Cathedral. 1964: Nelson Mandela sentenced to life imprisonment by South African government. 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 1963: Medgar W. Evers, civil rights leader, assassinated in Jackson, Mississippi. 1967: Thurgood Marshall nominated to Supreme Court by President Lyndon Johnson. 1864: Congress rules equal pay for all soldiers. Flag Day 1913: Dr. Effie O’Neal Ellis, first black woman to hold an executive position in the American Medical Association, born. 1970: Kenneth A. Gibson elected mayor of Newark, New Jersey, first African American mayor of a major Eastern city. 1775: Minuteman Peter Salem fights in the Battle of Bunker Hill. 1942: Harvard University medical student Bernard Whitfield Robinson commissioned as the Navy’s first black officer. 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 1865: Blacks in Texas are notified of Emancipation Proclamation, issued in 1863. 1953: Albert W. Dent of Dillard University elected president of the National Health Council. 1821: African Methodist Episcopal Zion (A.M.E.Z.) Church established. 1897: William Barry patents postmarking and cancelling machine. 1940: Sprinter Wilma Rudolph, winner of three gold medals at 1960 Summer Olympics, born. 1964: Carl T. Rowan appointed director of the United States Information Agency. 2009: Michael Jackson, musician and entertainer, dies. 26 27 28 29 30 1975: Dr. Samuel Blanton Rosser becomes first African American certified in pediatric surgery. 1991: Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall announces his retirement. 1911: Samuel J. Battle becomes first black policeman in New York City. 2006: Lloyd Richards, theater pioneer and Tony® Award winner for direction of Fences, dies on his 87th birthday. 1917: Lena Horne, singer, actress and civil rights activist, born. Juneteenth Father’s Day 2011 Aetna African American History Calendar www.aetnaafricanamericanhistorycalendar.com John Butler III (Janardhana Dasa) Special Education Teacher DeKalb County School System Decatur, Georgia Patience and understanding are what John Butler III brings to his special-education classroom and high school track team. As a teacher and coach in the urban area, Butler connects daily with at-risk youth. Rather than judge them, he accepts them and provides the best support he can such as buying running shoes for his student athletes. And his students also often hear his messages about healthful eating habits and world exploration. “It is amazing what can happen when someone gives their time,” said Butler. He leads a life of devotion as a practicing Hindu Vaishnavaite. He is one of a few African Americans to have completed a historic pilgrimage through India. “I came back on fire, ready to take on my life,” he said. He went back to college, earned his bachelor’s degree, two master’s degrees and an education specialist degree. Butler believes his life transformation first began when he became a vegetarian in the early ’80s. At age 18, he saw the positive effects that healthful eating had on one of his athlete role models. So he decided to give it a try. “Changing what I ate brought me so much more clarity,” said Butler. Each day, sometimes twice a day, Butler leads rituals in the puja (worship) room of his home. His practices of today are very different from his traditional Catholic upbringing. But he believes this is the path he was meant to follow. It’s all part of “my dharma,” he said, which is what he was destined to do with his life. “It is amazing what can happen when someone gives their time.” – BELIEF Joh n B u t l e r III July 2011 Sunday Health Tip Avoid the midday sun. Plan outdoor activities for early in the morning or late in the day. Sunscreen can’t do it alone. Do your part to practice safe sun exposure. Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday 1 3 4 1688: The Quakers in Germantown, Pennsylvania, make first formal protest against slavery. 1900: Traditional birthdate of Louis “Satchmo” Armstrong, jazz pioneer. 10 1943: Arthur Ashe Jr., first African American to win the U.S. Open and men’s singles title at Wimbledon, born. 2 1889: Frederick Douglass named U.S. Minister to Haiti. 1872: Elijah McCoy patents first self-lubricating locomotive engine. The quality of his inventions helped coin the phrase “the real McCoy.” 5 6 7 8 9 1991: Nelson Mandela elected president of the African National Congress. 1957: Althea Gibson wins women’s singles title at Wimbledon, first African American to win tennis’s most prestigious award. 1948: Cleveland Indians sign pitcher Leroy “Satchel” Paige. 2000: Venus Williams wins women’s singles championship at Wimbledon. 1893: Dr. Daniel Hale Williams performs first successful open-heart operation. 11 12 13 14 15 16 1905: W.E.B. DuBois and William Monroe Trotter organize the Niagara Movement, a forerunner of the NAACP. 1949: Frederick M. Jones patents cooling system for food transportation vehicles. 1965: Thurgood Marshall becomes first African American appointed U.S. solicitor general. 1951: George Washington Carver Monument, first national park honoring an African American, is dedicated in Joplin, Missouri. 1867: Maggie Lena Walker, first woman and first African American to become president of a bank, born. 1822: Violette A. Johnson, first black woman to practice before the U.S. Supreme Court, born. Independence Day Asala - Dharma Day 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 2009: Ret. Marine Corps Maj. Gen. Charles F. Bolden Jr. becomes first African American administrator of NASA. 1998: African American Civil War Soldiers Memorial dedicated, Washington, D.C. 1925: Paris debut of Josephine Baker, entertainer, activist and humanitarian. 1950: Black troops (24th Regiment) win first U.S. victory in Korea. 1896: Mary Church Terrell elected first president of National Association of Colored Women. 1827: James Varick, first Bishop of the African Methodist Episcopal Zion (A.M.E.Z.) Church, dies. 1962: Jackie Robinson becomes first black baseball player in the major leagues inducted into baseball’s Hall of Fame. 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 1807: Shakespearean actor Ira Aldridge born in New York City. 1916: Garrett Morgan, inventor of the gas mask, rescues six people from gas-filled tunnel in Cleveland, Ohio. 1948: President Harry S. Truman issues Executive Order 9981, ending segregation in armed forces. 1880: Alexander P. Ashbourne patents process for refining coconut oil. 1868: 14th Amendment, granting African Americans full citizenship rights, becomes part of the Constitution. 1895: First National Conference of Colored Women Convention held in Boston. 1822: James Varick elected first bishop of the African Methodist Episcopal Zion (A.M.E.Z.) Church. 31 1874: Rev. Patrick Francis Healy inaugurated president of Georgetown University, Washington, D.C. Ramadan Begins (sundown) 2011 Aetna African American History Calendar www.aetnaafricanamericanhistorycalendar.com Rev. James L. Patterson Founder, The Partnership for African American Churches Charleston, West Virginia Rev. James L. Patterson is convinced that communities need places of worship to provide spiritual, emotional and physical guidance. “We need to provide ministry to the whole person. We want people to have a better quality of life,” he said. “It is my passion to see disparities eliminated.” In 2000, Rev. Patterson and a group of ministers founded The Partnership for African American Churches. The group raises funds and secures grants to support special projects that affect the health of the African American community. Projects supported by The Partnership are varied, yet effective. The Partnership provides training on computers in local volunteer firehouses. This venue gives people in the community access to online programs that help them self-manage chronic diseases. The Partnership has worked with West Virginia State University to grow a community garden, a place where children in its after-school program can work and learn. The Partnership also created and distributes a “Praisercize” video on chronic disease self-management. To go along with the video, The Partnership trains health and wellness coordinators to deliver health care messages in places of worship across the state. “Our goal is to empower communities,” Rev. Patterson said. “We train people to teach in their own places of worship. When you give people the skills they need to make a difference, it has a lasting effect.” TEACH “When you give people the skills they need to make a difference, it has a lasting effect.” – August 2011 Health Tip Keep a journal. Write down things that make you smile such as a family vacation, a meaningful friendship or special occasions. Sunday Monday R e v . James L . Pat t ers o n Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday 1 2 3 4 5 6 1879: Mary Eliza Mahoney graduates from New England Hospital for Women and Children, becoming the first black professional nurse in America. 1924: James Baldwin, author of Go Tell It on the Mountain, The Fire Next Time and Another Country, born. 1800: Gabriel Prosser leads slave revolt in Richmond, Virginia. 1810: Abolitionist Robert Purvis born. 1962: Nelson Mandela, South African freedom fighter, imprisoned. He was not released until 1990. 1965: President Lyndon B. Johnson signs Voting Rights Act, outlawing literacy test for voting eligibility in the South. 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 1907: Dr. Ralph J. Bunche, first African American Nobel Prize® winner, born. 2005: John H. Johnson, founder and publisher of Ebony and Jet magazines, dies. 1936: Jesse Owens wins fourth gold medal at Summer Olympics in Berlin. 1989: Gen. Colin Powell is nominated chairman, Joint Chiefs of Staff, the first African American to hold this post. 1872: Dr. Solomon Carter Fuller, acknowledged as first black psychiatrist, born. 1977: Steven Biko, leader of Black Consciousness Movement in South Africa, arrested. 1981: Reagan administration undertakes its review of 30 federal regulations, including rules on civil rights to prevent job discrimination. Raksha Bandhan 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 1989: First National Black Theater Festival held in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. 2007: Max Roach, first jazz musician honored with a MacArthur Fellowship, dies. 1922: Author Louis E. Lomax born. 1849: Lawyer-activist Archibald Henry Grimké, who challenged the segregationist policies of President Woodrow Wilson, born. 1859: Harriet Wilson’s Our Nig is first novel published by a black writer. 1954: Dr. Ralph J. Bunche named undersecretary of United Nations. 1993: Dr. David Satcher named director of the Centers for Disease Control. 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 1904: Bandleader and composer William “Count” Basie born. 1880: Cartoonist George Herriman born. 1926: Carter Woodson, historian, author, inaugurates Negro History Week. 1950: Judge Edith Sampson named first black delegate to United Nations. 1925: A. Phillip Randolph founds Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters. 1946: Composer, singer and producer Valerie Simpson Ashford born. 1963: W.E.B. DuBois, scholar, civil rights activist and founding father of the NAACP, dies. Krishna Jayanti 28 29 30 31 1963: Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. delivers “I Have A Dream” speech during March on Washington, D.C. 1920: Saxophonist Charlie “Bird” Parker born. 1983: Lt. Col. Guion S. Bluford Jr. becomes the first African American astronaut in space. 1836: Henry Blair patents cotton planter. Eid al Fitr Begins (sundown) 2011 Aetna African American History Calendar www.aetnaafricanamericanhistorycalendar.com Rabbi Capers C. Funnye, Jr. Beth Shalom B’nai Zaken Ethiopian Hebrew Congregation Chicago, Illinois Inside the oldest African American synagogue in the country, senior citizens are aging well together. That’s because many are taking part in the Sacred Aging program offered at Chicago’s Beth Shalom B’nai Zaken Ethiopian Hebrew Congregation. “Our physical health is just as important as our spiritual health. The two feed off each other,” said Rabbi Capers C. Funnye, Jr. Sacred Aging is open to senior citizens of all faiths. The group meets four days a week in the synagogue social hall. Here, the seniors are offered breakfast, lunch, exercise, health screenings, arts and crafts, Bible studies, and spiritual teachings. In the summer, the young children of the congregation have the opportunity to interact with the seniors. “A religious organization is more than a community of members. It is at its best when it serves the entire community in which it exists,” said Rabbi Funnye. “Our goal is to help people live longer, and live healthful and more vibrant lives as they grow older.” Wonderful connections are being built through this holistic program. “My reward is seeing the smiles of all the seniors when I come into the room,” Rabbi Funnye said. “Healthful living happens when minds are active and people are engaged in conversation.” “Our physical health is just as important as our spiritual health. The two feed off each other.” – R a b b i Ca p e r s C. F u nnye, Jr. COMMUNITY September 2011 Health Tip Stay current on health information. Pay attention to the latest health care news. Read health care advice and tips to stay healthy. Healthy Aging Month Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday 1 2 3 1993: Condoleeza Rice named provost at Stanford University, becoming the youngest person and first African American to hold this position. 1958: Frederick M. Jones patents control device for internal combustion engine. 1979: Robert Maynard becomes first African American to head a major daily newspaper, Oakland Tribune in California. Ganesh Chaturthi 4 5 1957: Arkansas Governor Orval Faubus calls out the National Guard to bar black students from entering a Little Rock high school. 1960: Leopold Sedar Senghor, poet and politician, elected president of Senegal. Labor Day 6 7 8 9 10 1848: Frederick Douglass elected president of National Black Political Convention in Cleveland, Ohio. 1954: Washington, D.C., and Baltimore, Maryland, public schools integrated. 1981: Roy Wilkins, executive director of the NAACP, dies. 1968: Arthur Ashe Jr. wins men‘s singles tennis championship at U.S. Open. 1855: John Mercer Langston elected township clerk of Brownhelm, Ohio, becoming first African American to hold elective office in the U.S. 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 1959: Edward Kennedy “Duke” Ellington wins Spingarn Medal for his achievements in music. 1992: Dr. Mae C. Jemison becomes first African American woman to travel in space. 1886: Literary critic Alain Lovke, first black Rhodes Scholar, born. 1921: Constance Baker Motley, first black woman appointed federal judge, born. 1963: Four black girls killed in Birmingham, Alabama, church bombing. 1923: First Catholic seminary for black priests dedicated in Bay St. Louis, Mississippi. 1983: Vanessa Williams becomes first African American crowned Miss America. 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 1895: Booker T. Washington delivers famous Atlanta Exposition speech. 1893: Albert R. Robinson patents electric railway trolley. 1830: First National Convention of Free Men agrees to boycott slave-produced goods. 1998: Florence Griffith Joyner, Olympic track star, dies. 1862: Emancipation Proclamation announced. 1863: Civil and women’s rights advocate Mary Church Terrell born. 1895: Three Baptist Conventions merged to form the National Baptist Convention. 25 26 27 28 29 30 1974: Barbara W. Hancock becomes first African American woman named a White House fellow. 1962: Sonny Liston knocks out Floyd Patterson to win heavyweight boxing championship. 1912: W.C. Handy publishes Memphis Blues. 1991: National Civil Rights Museum opens in Memphis, Tennessee. 1910: National Urban League established in New York City. 1962: James Meredith enrolls as first black student at University of Mississippi. Navaratri Rosh Hashanah Begins (sundown) 2011 Aetna African American History Calendar www.aetnaafricanamericanhistorycalendar.com Safiyah Abdul Khaaliq Founder and CEO, Essential Living for Muslim Women Inc.: Breast Cancer Health Initiative Lithonia, Georgia During her travels in Egypt and North Africa, Safiyah Abdul Khaaliq witnessed firsthand the cultural and traditional divides that deny basic health care for women in Muslim countries. When she returned to the United States, she decided to teach Muslim women how to best take care of themselves. In 2006, she founded the Essential Living for Muslim Women Inc.: Breast Cancer Health Initiative. The group provides breast and cervical health education; free exams; and mammograms for uninsured and underinsured Muslim women in the Atlanta, Georgia, region. At first, Khaaliq tried to get the women to come to her, with little success. So she decided to go to them in their places of worship, libraries and public schools. “Muslim women tend to have a fear of being a burden on their families. They often neglect their own care and will only visit female health care providers,” said Khaaliq. “We bring ethnically diverse female community health advisors and nurse practitioners into their environments. We embrace women in all walks of life. In our first year, we provided free breast health services for more than 600 women. In over four years, we provided services for more than 6,000 women.” Khaaliq’s organization, which she hopes to expand globally, has been fortunate to get support from funders such as the Susan G. Komen Foundation and It’s the Journey, The Atlanta 2-Day Walk for Breast Cancer. “This is about women supporting other women,” she said. “We empower them to be proactive about their breast health.” CARE “We bring ethnically diverse female community health advisors and nurse practitioners into their environments. We embrace women in all walks of life.” – S a f i ya h Abd u l Kh aaliq October 2011 Health Tip Lead a healthful lifestyle and get checked. The American Cancer Society recommends healthy women age 40 and older have a mammogram each year. Sunday Breast Cancer Awareness Month Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday 1 1996: Lt. Gen. Joe Ballard becomes first African American to head the Army Corps of Engineers. 2 3 4 5 6 7 2000: James Perkins Jr. sworn in as Selma, Alabama’s, first African American mayor. 1956: Nat “King” Cole becomes first black performer to host his own TV show. 1864: First black daily newspaper, The New Orleans Tribune, founded. 1872: Booker T. Washington enters Hampton Institute, Virginia. 1917: Political activist Fannie Lou Hamer born. Dussera 8 1993: Toni Morrison becomes the first African American to win the Nobel Prize® in literature. 1941: Rev. Jesse Jackson, political activist and civil rights leader, born. Yom Kippur Begins (sundown) 9 10 11 12 13 14 2001: Dr. Ruth Simmons, first African American leader of an Ivy League institution, elected 18th president of Brown University. 2010: Solomon Burke, Grammy® Award-winning singer/songwriter, “King of Rock and Soul,” dies. 1887: Granville T. Woods patents telephone system and apparatus. 2005: C. Delores Tucker, civil rights activist and founder of the National Black Congress, dies. 1579: Martin de Porres, first black saint in the Roman Catholic church, born. 1964: At age 35, Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. becomes youngest man to win Nobel Peace Prize. 15 1991: Clarence Thomas confirmed as an associate justice of U.S. Supreme Court. Columbus Day Observed 16 17 18 19 20 21 1984: Bishop Desmond Tutu wins Nobel Peace Prize. 1888: Capital Savings Bank of Washington, D.C., first bank for African Americans, organized. 1948: Playwright Ntozake Shange, author of For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide When The Rainbow Is Enuf, born. 1943: Paul Robeson opens in Othello at the Shubert Theater in New York City. 1898: The first African American-owned insurance company, North Carolina Mutual Life Insurance Co., founded. 1917: Trumpeter Dizzy Gillespie, pioneer of bebop, born. 23 24 25 26 27 28 1947: NAACP petitions United Nations on racial conditions in the U.S. 2005: Rosa Parks, civil rights pioneer who sparked 1955 Montgomery bus boycott, dies. 1992: Toronto Blue Jays manager Cito Gaston becomes first African American to manage a team to a World Series title. 1911: Mahalia Jackson, gospel singer, born. 1954: Benjamin O. Davis Jr. becomes first black general in U.S. Air Force. 1998: President Bill Clinton declares HIV/AIDS a health crisis in racial minority communities. United Nations Day 30 31 1979: Richard Arrington elected first African American mayor of Birmingham, Alabama. Diwali 1899: William F. Burr patents switching device for railways. Halloween 2011 Aetna African American History Calendar www.aetnaafricanamericanhistorycalendar.com 22 1953: Dr. Clarence S. Green becomes first African American certified in neurological surgery. 29 1949: Alonzo G. Moron becomes first black president of Hampton Institute, Virginia. Bishop T.D. Jakes Founder and Senior Pastor The Potter’s House Dallas, Texas From the pulpit to boardrooms, from television broadcasts to social media, from books to movies, Bishop T.D. Jakes is spreading global messages to improve the body, mind and soul. Founder of The Potter’s House, a 30,000-member faith community in Dallas, Texas, Bishop Jakes never believed in his “wildest dreams” he would be where he is today. His roots were in a small church in West Virginia. Today, he is collaborating on faith-based health initiatives with First Lady Michelle Obama, U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Regina M. Benjamin and Deputy Assistant Secretary for Minority Health Dr. Garth Graham. MegaCARE, a global division of his organization, heads up humanitarian efforts to clean water in Haiti, South Africa and New Orleans. It also provides local health screenings. “No institution speaks more to African Americans on a weekly basis than a church. It is the catalyst to delivering comprehensive, accurate and reliable information,” he said. He works to provide holistic programs on education, health, economics and housing to his members. Bishop Jakes strives to address health disparities in his community. “Our lifestyles are different. What we eat is different. When someone you admire struggles and can make changes for the better, it gives you permission to talk about it. I help open up conversation.” “It takes a positive attitude, uplifted spirit and a strong resolve to overcome a fight in your body.” – Bis hop T. D . J ak e s People of faith tend to heal quicker, said Bishop Jakes. His childhood friend and executive coordinator, Holloway Gray, was diagnosed with diabetes, lost his kidney and underwent multiple eye surgeries. “Today he is fine. When people believe, they recover more rapidly. It takes a positive attitude, uplifted spirit and a strong resolve to overcome a fight in your body,” he said. SPIRIT November 2011 Health Tip Include some exercise in your day. Being physically fit can lower blood sugar, blood pressure and cholesterol. National Diabetes Awareness Month Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday 1 2 3 4 5 1945: John H. Johnson publishes first issue of Ebony. 1983: President Ronald Reagan designates Martin Luther King Jr. Day a national holiday. 1981: Thirman L. Milner elected mayor of Hartford, Connecticut, becoming first African American mayor in New England. 2008: Senator Barack Obama elected 44th president of the U.S., becoming first African American to be elected chief executive in the 232-year history of the country. 1968: Shirley Chisholm of Brooklyn, New York, becomes first black woman elected to Congress. Hajj Begins (sundown) 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 1900: James Weldon Johnson and J. Rosamond Johnson compose “Lift Every Voice and Sing.” 1989: L. Douglas Wilder elected governor of Virginia, becoming nation’s first African American governor since Reconstruction. 1938: Crystal Bird Fauset elected state representative in Pennsylvania, becoming first black woman to serve in a state legislature. 1731: Mathematician, urban planner and inventor Benjamin Banneker born. 2006: Benny Andrews, painter and teacher whose work drew on memories of his childhood in the segregated South, dies. 1989: Civil Rights Memorial dedicated in Montgomery, Alabama. 1941: Mary Cardwell Dawson and Madame Lillian Evanti establish the National Negro Opera Company. Veterans Day Election Day Eid al Adha Begins (sundown) Daylight Saving Time Ends 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 1940: The U.S. Supreme Court rules in Hansberry v. Lee that African Americans cannot be barred from white neighborhoods. 1915: Booker T. Washington, educator and writer, dies. 1881: Payton Johnson patents swinging chair. 1981: Pam Johnson named publisher of the Ithaca Journal in New York, becoming first African American woman to head a daily newspaper. 1980: Howard University airs WHHM, first African American-operated public radio station. 1797: Sojourner Truth, abolitionist and Civil War nurse, born. 1953: Roy Campanella named Most Valuable Player in National Baseball League for the second time. 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 1923: Garrett A. Morgan patents traffic light signal. 1893: Granville T. Woods patents electric railway conduit. 1930: Elijah Muhammed establishes the Nation of Islam. 1897: A.J. Beard patents the Jenny Coupler, used to connect railroad cars. 1868: Pianist Scott Joplin, the “Father of Ragtime,” born. 1955: The Interstate Commerce Commission bans segregation in interstate travel. 1883: Sojourner Truth, abolitionist and Civil War nurse, dies. Thanksgiving Day 27 28 29 30 1990: Charles Johnson awarded National Book Award for fiction for Middle Passage. 1961: Ernie Davis becomes first African American to win the Heisman Trophy®. 1908: Adam Clayton Powell Jr., politician and civil rights activist, born. 1912: Gordon Parks, writer, filmmaker and photographer, born. 2011 Aetna African American History Calendar www.aetnaafricanamericanhistorycalendar.com Islamic New Year, 1433 A.H. Begins (sundown) Dr. Pernessa C. Seele Founder and CEO, The Balm In Gilead, Inc. Richmond, Virginia As an immunologist at Harlem Hospital in New York, Dr. Pernessa C. Seele noticed few people from the faith community visiting HIV/AIDS patients. Comforting the sick and dying is common practice in African American places of worship. So she decided to bring the two together. She reached out to leaders at places of worship in Harlem, New York, explaining the urgency to talk about the public health crisis. In 1989, the Harlem Week of Prayer was born, which today has become a national event. Dr. Seele formed The Balm In Gilead after seeing the success of the event. It is a nonprofit organization dedicated to bringing the faith community together to address HIV/AIDS and other health disparities in African American communities. “Faith is centered in health and healing,” Dr. Seele said. Her organization now has relationships with more than 20,000 churches across the country. Dr. Seele is using the power of the pulpit to deliver education, prevention and awareness messages about HIV/AIDS. “This is really the intersection of public health and faith,” said Dr. Seele. “To address ills in our communities, we have to build capacity in places of worship.” The majority of the places of worship involved in the program now provide AIDS testing, conferences and theological training. However, it is not only the African American faith communities that need to be addressed. “Every American has to be involved in dealing with the HIV/AIDS epidemic,” Dr. Seele said. INSPIRE Volunteer with a community health organization. You can make a great contribution, while developing your skills and learning more about health. Monday – D r. Pernes s a C . S eele December 2011 Health Tip Sunday “To address ills in our communities, we have to build capacity in places of worship.” AIDS Awareness Month Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday 1 2 1955: Rosa Parks arrested for refusing to give her seat to a white man, sparking the Montgomery, Alabama, bus boycott. 1884: Granville T. Woods patents telephone transmitter. Saturday 3 1847: Frederick Douglass publishes first issue of North Star. 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 1906: Alpha Phi Alpha, first black Greek letter fraternity, founded at Cornell University. 1955: Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. organizes Birmingham, Alabama, bus boycott, marking beginning of the Civil Rights Movement. 1932: Richard B. Spikes patents automatic gearshift. 1942: Reginald F. Lewis, first African American to create a bil