The Evelyn Paige Parker Scholarship Brunch is named after a woman who faced down a racist society to become a nurse during World War II and then devoted her life to making sure other African Americans got the support she did not. Parker knew she wanted to become a nurse when she was a student at Westinghouse High School. In 1940 there was nowhere in Pittsburgh for an African American to study nursing, so she headed to Philadelphia to Mercy Douglas Hospital School for Nurses, which was especially for African Americans. She faced challenges at White hospitals where she had to take additional courses but she stayed the course. She came back to Pittsburgh earned a Master’s Degree and became a professor of nursing at Pitt until 1981.
This year PBNIA honored men in nursing on June 16, at the LeMont Restaurant. With Elliot Howsie, J.D. as master of ceremonies seven men in nursing were honored: Charles Timbers, Darryl Daughtry, Charmaine Darelle Dogans, Victor Fagan, Timothy D. Gill, Michael Harper and Howard J. Pannell. Their awards were presented by PBNIA president Dawndra Jones, DNP.
PBNIA also takes this opportunity to present scholarships to nursing students. This year’s scholarship recipients were: Charis Allen, Jennifer Allison, Mya Ford, Leah Johnson and Krista Nash.
PBNIA was honored to have Dr. Eric J. Williams as their keynote speaker. In August 2015, Williams was installed as the first male and 12th president of the National Black Nurses Association. Currently Williams is the Assistant Director /Facility Chair and Professor of Nursing at Santa Monica College, Santa Monica, Calif. He is recognized as being the first African American male faculty member when he began his appointment in 2001. Williams said he stood on the shoulders on many females to get where he is today.
The mission of PBNIA is to reduce health disparities among African Americans and other minorities in the Greater Pittsburgh area through education and awareness.
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