--UMBC President, Dr. Freeman A. Hrabowski, III, and Mrs. Jacqueline C. Hrabowski, are the keynote speakers--
Greater Baltimore Medical Center (GBMC) culminated its annual observance in honor of Black History Month with a virtual celebration that recognized the accomplishments of African Americans whose hard work, commitment, and dedication serve as an inspiration to all who value the ideals of freedom.
UMBC President, Dr. Freeman A. Hrabowski, III, and Mrs. Jacqueline C. Hrabowski, former Vice President of Corporate Community Involvement at T. Rowe Price and a passionate community volunteer and advocate, joined John B. Chessare, MD, MPH, President and CEO of the GBMC HealthCare System, in a 33-minute, taped virtual discussion that centered on: accomplishments by BIPOC that should be recognized and remembered, the value and importance of mentorship and encouragement, the development of the Moderna vaccine by a Black female, and how we can offer opportunities for Black women to achieve prominent roles in our society. They also discussed vaccine hesitancy among underrepresented populations. Watch (starting at 14:10) the full discussion here.
The free virtual celebration, entitled Getting into Good Trouble: Restoring & Uniting Humanity, was viewed by GBMC leaders, employees, and members of the GBMC community. It addressed several topics: (Key quotes and timestamps below)
23:37—23:54 (Mrs. Jacqueline Hrabowski): “My message to people, women especially, is that you need to be prepared and take the chances and the risks and be that role model that others look up to and depend on for direction.”
24:29—24:45 (Dr. Freeman Hrabowski): “Preparing students to serve and to lead is a critical part of any kind of success. And in her (UMBC alumnus Dr. Kizzmekia Corbett) case, it gives me goosebumps. She is the first Black woman in the world to create a vaccine.”
37:47—38:06 (Dr. Freeman Hrabowski): “People who succeed understand they cannot make it by themselves. People who succeed learn to develop thick skin. Each of us needs feedback and the feedback may not always be happy talk.”
40:38—40:55 (Mrs. Jacqueline Hrabowski): “You find opportunities for people to tell their story. Everybody has a story which somebody can learn something from. Find time for that, build opportunities for that.”
42:16—42:32 (Dr. Freeman Hrabowski): “I want us to tell our stories. The African American story is the American story. As we think about having the light shining on African Americans, we also want the light to shine on all of us, of all races, and see how we’re connected.”
“It was my honor and pleasure to host this event and to have Dr. and Mrs. Hrabowski join us for our Black History Month celebration honoring the marvelous accomplishments of the many great African Americans whose work impacts our daily lives,” said Dr. Chessare. “I am grateful to all of my colleagues on the Diversity and Inclusion Council and our Black History Month committee for putting together an outstanding celebration and helping to bring us together. I want to also thank The Baltimore City College Choir for their wonderful performance.”
Dr. Hrabowski became the president of UMBC in 1992 and was named by President Barack Obama to chair the President’s Advisory Commission on Educational Excellence for African Americans. He also chaired the National Academies committee that produced the report, Expanding Underrepresented Minority Participation: American’s Science and Technology Talent at the Crossroads (2011). Dr. Hrabowski has been named one of the 100 Most Influential People in the World by TIME (2012) and one of America’s Best Leaders by U.S. News & World Report (2008). His most recent book, The Empowered University, written with two UMBC colleagues, examines how university communities support academic success by cultivating an empowering institutional culture.
GBMC opened its doors in 1965 after the merger of the Hospital for Women of Maryland and Presbyterian Eye, Ear and Throat Charity Hospital. The hospital is slated to break ground this summer for a three-story hospital addition, called The Promise Project. This project will consist of an addition in the front of the main lobby along with 60 state-of-the-art medical patient rooms and additional patient and family amenity spaces, including wellness and patient support areas.
