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Black History Month

Feb 22 2022
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BLACK HISTORY MONTH 2022 | BLACK HEALTH & WELLNESS

By Press

NEW YORK, (February 15, 2022) –  Caroline Barrett, SanovaWorks Chief Operations Officer

Black History Month 2022 | Black Health and Wellness

As we celebrate Black History Month 2022 we recall and acknowledge the accomplishments of Black Americans–and enlighten others to those accomplishments that are not widely known. 

“This year’s theme Black Health and Wellness pays homage to medical scholars and health care providers. The theme is especially timely as we enter the third year of the COVID-19 pandemic, which has disproportionately affected minority communities and placed unique burdens on Black health care professionals.”

Black History Month is not just a celebration of accomplishments by Black American women and men, but an acknowledgment of the adversity they faced. It honors the contributions and sacrifices of Black Americans who have helped shape the nation – to celebrate triumphs and equally as important to acknowledge the adversities are an indelible part of our country’s history.

“A people without the knowledge of their past history, origin and culture is like a tree without roots.”—MARCUS GARVEY

Our Commitment to Equity, Diversity and Inclusion

SanovaWorks is committed to holding equity and inclusion at the core of the work we do:

  • Equity in patients’ access to qualified dermatology healthcare providers
  • Inclusive and diverse education on dermatologic diseases in all skin tones
  • Equity in dermatology healthcare providers’ access to leadership and career advancement opportunities
  • Inclusive recruitment of employees, contractors, and vendors
  • Embracing equity and inclusion into our company vision and mission and fostering it as a core value

Onesimus is one of the “Best Bostonians of All Time”

As we celebrate Black History Month, we can highlight one of the lesser-known stories of African American accomplishment is that of Onesimus. Onesimus was an enslaved African man who lived during the late 1600s to 1700s. His story is currently a timely one to celebrate. Onesimus was instrumental in the mitigation of the impact of a smallpox outbreak in Boston, Massachusetts. His birth name is unknown. He was enslaved and, in 1706, was given to the New England Puritan minister Cotton Mather, who renamed him. Onesimus introduced Mather to the principle and procedure of inoculation to prevent the disease, which laid the foundation for the development of vaccines. After a smallpox outbreak began in Boston in 1721, Mather used this knowledge to advocate for inoculation in the population, a practice that eventually spread to other colonies. In a 2016 Boston magazine survey, Onesimus was declared one of the “Best Bostonians of All Time”. 

REFERENCE: 

Onesimus – Wikipedia

Forgotten Faces of Black History

Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion: The Sum of Our Differences is Greatness

Why is Black History Month in February? – NPR

Pictured:  Solomon Carter Fuller, Daniel Hale Williams, Mae Jemison, Jane Cooke Wright, Michelle Obama, Onesimus, Henrietta Lacks

Feb 01 2021
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BLACK HISTORY MONTH | FEBRUARY 2021

By SanovaWorks

NEW YORK, (February 1, 2021) –  Caroline Barrett, SanovaWorks Vice President of Operations

Februarys for me usually roll-around with a dreariness and overall somberness. The New Year is a little less shiny and new, a little less promising. The winter overcast hangs low, with no break in the sky to even lend a glimmer of hope for spring. And of course, February commemorates Black History Month, the very need for which solemnly recognizes the stain of slavery and enduring discrimination, disenfranchisement, and systemic and institutionalized racism, which has disadvantaged African Americans for generations.

And yet, as I sit here on this February 1st, watching a blizzard descend on New York City, the vacant streets seem almost to signal a time of reflection. In this moment, as I pause, breathe, and reflect, I am filled with optimism — and more than that, I am filled with an eagerness for action. Harnessing the hope and perseverance of the African American women and men whom we commemorate this month, I choose not to wallow in the bleakness but rather to commit to an agenda for change. 

At SanovaWorks, we are guided by integrity, heart, and ethics — all qualities we’ve seen shine in this past year. But we have work to do. We are committing ourselves, our business to hold equity and inclusion at the core of the work we do:

  • Equity in patients’ access to qualified dermatology healthcare providers
  • Inclusive and diverse education on dermatologic diseases in all skin tones
  • Equity in dermatology healthcare providers’ access to leadership and career advancement opportunities
  • Inclusive recruitment of employees, contractors, and vendors
  • Embracing equity and inclusion into our company vision and mission and fostering it as a core value

Black History Month is not just a celebration of accomplishments by African American women and men, but an acknowledgment of the adversity they faced — to make all Americans aware of their struggle for freedom and equal opportunity.

May you be encouraged this month to educate yourself and your family on African Americans’ accomplishments and be inspired by them — and most importantly, to be moved to change. Take this moment to commit yourself to a yearlong, nay lifelong commitment to dismantling racism in your life, family, community, and country.

Because to quote Ta-Nehisi Coates, “It was 150 years ago and it is right now.”  We’ve got work to do.