February 1st marks the start of Black History Month where we recognize the valuable efforts, contributions and roles that Black individuals have had, and continue to have, on our community. The theme of Black History Month in 2022 is Black Health and Wellness, exploring the legacy of medical practitioners, scholars, and more. It is essential to shine a light on Black history today in order to celebrate the immeasurable contributions and achievements of Black Americans. As Anthesis is committed to providing a comfortable, inclusive, and respectful environment for all members of our community, we would like to highlight African Americans with disabilities in Honor of Black History Month.
As we celebrate Black History Month, it is important to note this includes more than 5.5 million African Americans living with a disability. Therefore, we would like to reflect on the realities and challenges that continue to shape the lives of African Americans with disabilities. It is important that we ensure that history recognizes the influence of disabled history makers. Since our society fails to do enough to acknowledge both communities’ significant contributions, it is up to us to amplify Black disabled voices.
In honor of Black History Month’s Black Health and Wellness theme, we’d like to highlight the contributions of prominent individuals in the medical field, including the following:
Dr. Glenn Anderson
Dr. Glenn B. Anderson is the first Deaf African-American in the United States to earn his doctorate degree. With attaining an array of ground-breaking achievements, Anderson has benefited many people-deaf and hearing as well as those with disabilities. He is a current member of the board for the National Black Deaf Advocates and an editor for the Arkansas Association of the Deaf newsletter.
Feranmi Okanlami
Feranami Okanlami is an advocate for people with disabilities, TEDx speaker, & physician dedicated to diversity, equity, and inclusion. After Okanlami’s life altering spinal injury leading him to become paralyzed, he is now dedicated to providing that opportunity for student-athletes around the country with disabilities, by creating and leading the Adaptive Sports & Fitness Program at the University of Michigan, with an eventual goal of having the NCAA recognize adaptive sports programs as official NCAA entities.
Learn more about the origins of Black History Month here
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