February 28, 2022
Each February, the United States honors and recognizes the sacrifices and contributions made by the African-Americans who helped shape this nation. While our country has made generous strides in achieving increased levels of diversity, equity, and inclusion, the complexity of hundreds of years of structural and institutional racism points to the prominent challenge of where to focus, what to address, and how to make real changes that heal, not bandage.
For many, associations have acted not only as a support system but as a leader in driving change and a voice of advocacy for underrepresented groups. Historically, associations have helped set important precedents in healthcare, politics, and education - so who better to set the standard for diversity, equity, and inclusion if not the organizations that make up the fabric of America’s society? In an effort to highlight the important accomplishments made by associations dedicated to the advancement of minority communities, we had the opportunity to speak to a few of the organizations driving change within our network.Just 50 years ago, the National Organization for the Professional Advancement of Black Chemical Engineers (NOBCChE) was established after receiving an $850 grant from Drexel University. At the time, the population of Black scientists in the U.S. was limited to a small number of people. Without proper representation within the science community for aspiring Black engineers, scientists, and chemists, the founders of NOBCChE knew it would be a challenge to acquire the resources and make the connections needed to further their professional advancement alone.
“From the beginning, our organization’s mission has been to foster a space where members feel valued, encouraged, and supported by other peers with similar backgrounds,” said Dr. Renã Robinson, president of NOBCChE.
Over the last five decades, NOBCChE has remained dedicated to its mission to further the advancement of scientists, chemists, and engineers all across the U.S. by establishing educational partnerships with universities, school districts, municipalities, businesses, and other organizations in the public and private sectors. Through these partnerships, NOBCChE is able to support local, regional, national, and global programs that assist people of color in fully realizing their academic, professional, and entrepreneurial potential. With over 51 national chapters for both student and professional members, NOBCChE has continued to open the door to various networking, research, leadership, training, and continued education opportunities for its members in chemistry, engineering, and other allied fields.
Gradually, and with newfound support from like-minded peers, African-American leaders became inspired to establish associations with similar missions throughout the U.S. Driven by an incessant desire for change, organizations like the National Dental Association (NDA), were founded as a response to a lack of diversity and inclusion within dental research, academics, administration, media advocacy private practice and the armed forces.
Since its inception, NDA has been a leader in driving discussions around the inequities and issues present within the dental industry, and advocates for the inclusion of Black dentists within academia, private practice, administration, and research while highlighting the importance of oral health equity amongst people of color. In addition to supporting the professional advancement of dental students and professionals, later this year NDA will also lead discussions to establish and encourage the collaboration of dentists and health professionals to develop a consensus statement for oral-systemic health, addressing racial and ethnic health disparities.
Through the collective effort of their members, NDA has been able to scale its impact on a national level by launching community-based, grassroots health initiatives. NDA-HEALTH NOW, for instance, focuses on the distribution of oral health information to the public through the robust healthcare outreach and educational activities provided on the website. In turn, the NDA-HEALTH NOW program has been highly effective in promoting the interests of dental professionals across the nation, leading to impacts in health policy and regulations.
“NDA-HEALTH NOW features plans for ‘mixed-use’ mobile health units equipped for medical screening, vision screening, and dental services,” said Keith Perry, Executive Director of NDA. “But it’s also designed for implementation with or without the mobile units.”
While these associations have been critical to the advancement of diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice initiatives in the education and healthcare industries, according to Perry there is still much work to be done. In fact, supporting diverse organizations and their leadership is the most effective means of achieving justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion within our nation’s institutions, both public and private. This means that in order to fully set the precedent, associations must begin to support intentional efforts and partnerships dedicated to building organizational capacity, providing increased access to capital, and developing strategic plans to close the wealth gap.
Through the tireless work of its members, both NDA and NOBCChE have been successful in their missions to be a voice of advocacy amongst their communities. By providing various opportunities for continued education, mentorship, collaborative research, leadership development, and networking opportunities, minority-focused organizations are undoubtedly leaving behind a powerful legacy for generations of Americans to come.
ABOUT NOBCChE:
Originally founded in 1972 as an ad-hoc committee, the National Organization for the Professional Advancement of Black Chemists and Chemical Engineers (NOBCChE) remains dedicated to its mission to develop a powerful network of people of color in science, technology, and allied fields and advance their professional endeavors by adding value to their academic, development, leadership, and philanthropic endeavors throughout the life-cycle of their careers. As an advocate for K-12 STEM education, university student and professional development, NOBCChE takes pride in providing various leadership, networking, research, mentorship, and continued education opportunities to its members.
ABOUT NDA:
Founded as a daring and creative response to racism in the dental profession, today the National Dental Association (NDA) is the conscience of organized dentistry. Not only does NDA work tirelessly to promote oral health equity among people of color, but it uses the collective power of its members to provide continued education, collaborative research, leadership training, business networking opportunities for its members, as well as direct access to legislators to influence legislation that affects minority consumers and providers. Additionally, NDA’s mission aims to increase the number of minorities in dentistry in areas of private practice, academia, administration, research, health policy, and the armed forces while supporting the needs of dental students and strengthening alliances with other health organizations, community groups, national coalitions and corporations aligned with NDA’s ideals.
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