February is Black History Month!
Black History Month is an annual celebration of achievements by African Americans and a time for recognizing their central role in U.S. history. Also known as African American History Month, the event grew out of “Negro History Week”, the brainchild of noted historian Carter G. Woodson and other prominent African Americans. Since 1976, every U.S. president has officially designated the month of February as Black History Month.
Other countries around the world, including Canada and the United Kingdom, also devote a month to celebrating Black history.
Ampla Health acknowledges and honors the impact that civil rights movement had on the inception of community health centers.
The African American community is disproportionally affected by hypertension and heart disease, according to the Office of Minority Health. African Americans are 50% more likely to have high blood pressure compared to white patients, which makes the total number of African Americans with high blood pressure more than 40%. According to the CDC, black adults aged 18-49 are also twice as likely to die from heart disease than their white counterparts. At Ampla Health, are committed to improve your life by helping you manage your chronic conditions. We are also committed to improve disparities in healthcare. We proudly served 1,963 African Americans in 2020. Of those, 923 suffer hypertension and 97 suffer heart diseases. We believe in eliminating barriers to care. That is why we offer transportation services for many of our locations so that we can guide you in your journey to a better health.
As we celebrate African American month, we want to ensure that we emphasize our commitment to you, our African American community to help you eliminate racial disparities.
We will continue our efforts to ensure everyone has the access to care they need.
We are here for you and your family.
Come see us for:
Medical Services
Dental Services
Pediatrics Services
Chiropractic Services
Behavioral Health Services
Specialty Services
Insurance Enrollment
Transportation Services
Origins of Black History Month
The story of Black History Month begins in 1915, half a century the Thirteen Amendment abolished slavery in the United States. That September, the Harvard-trained historian Carter G. Woodson and the prominent minister Jesse E. Moorland founded the Association for the Study of Negro Life and History (ASNLH), an organization dedicated to researching and promoting achievements by Black Americans and other peoples of African descent.
Known today as the Association for the Study of African American Life and History (ASALH), the group sponsored a national Negro History week in 1926, choosing the second week of February to coincide with the birthdays of Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglass. The event inspired schools and communities nationwide to organize local celebrations, establish history clubs and host performances and lectures.
Did you know? The NAACP was founded on February 12, 1909, the centennial anniversary of the birth of Abraham Lincoln. In the decades that followed, mayors of cities across the country began issuing yearly proclamations recognizing Negro History Week. By the late 1960s, thanks in part to the civil rights movement and a growing awareness of Black identity, Negro History Week had evolved into Black History Month on many college campuses.
President Gerald Ford officially recognized Black History Month in 1976, calling upon the public to “seize the opportunity to honor the too-often neglected accomplishments of Black Americans in every area of endeavor throughout our history.”
Black History Month 2021 Theme
Since 1976, every American president has designated February as Black History Month and endorsed a specific theme.
The Black History Month 2021 theme, “Black Family: Representation, Identity and Diversity” explores the African diaspora, and the spread of Black families across the United States.
COVID-19 TESTING & VACCINATION
During COVID-19 Pandemic Ampla Health is a testing site, also currently offering the Moderna vaccine to our patients (65 years+) in accordance to the current established tiers.
Your Ampla Health Center should be contacting you to set your appointment; however, you may call directly to set your appointment if you are 65 years+.
Everyone must bring and wear their own mask prior to entering any of our clinics.
For more details contact your nearest Ampla Health location: