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February is Black History Month. UVA Health Office of Diversity and Community Engagement (ODCE) has announced our 2025 theme as African Americans and Labor: Acknowledging Our Contributions Across UVA Health "to focus on the various and profound ways that work and working of all kinds — free and unfree; skilled and unskilled; vocational and voluntary — intersect with the collective experiences of Black people."

Supporting our UVA Health strategic plan goal of cultivating healthy communities and belonging for all through community engagement and healthy equity initiatives — UVA Health is offering this list below of events and self-directed resources:

Events

• Black History Month Opening Celebration: African Americans and Labor: Acknowledging Our Contributions Across UVA Health | Feb. 7, 12-1 p.m. | Pinn Hall 2ABC | Registration Required | Lunch will be served. Keynote speaker Rudolph Beverly, Manager, UVA Health Transportation and Distribution, will share insights and reflections on the history, culture, and contributions of the Black community. Engage in meaningful discussions and connect with others who are passionate about diversity and inclusion.

• Black Excellence Expo | Feb. 8, 11 a.m.-4 p.m. | Manassas Park City Library, 100 Park Central Plaza, Suite 100. Manassas Park, VA 20111 | Join the UVA Community Health Community Engagement team and medical professionals — as well as authors, entertainers, artists, musicians, and community leaders — to celebrate Black History Month. Attendees can look forward to engaging conversations, creative showcases, and food trucks at this family-friendly event.

• University Medical Center West Complex Historical Tour | Feb. 21, 11:30 a.m-1 p.m. | Zoom | Registration Required | Melody M. Pannell, DMin., MSW, M.Div., MACE, GC, Director, ODCE, leads this tour and discusses the history of race and how it has shaped our institution. Read more about the tour initiated by Dan Cavanaugh, Curator of Historical Collections, Claude Moore Health Sciences Library.
  
  
• Memorial to Enslaved Laborers Tour | Feb. 24, 12-1 p.m. | Meet at the memorial | Registration Required | Melody M. Pannell, DMin., MSW, M.Div., MACE, GC, Director, ODCE, leads this tour of the permanent tribute to enslaved individuals and families who built and maintained the University of Virginia, and discusses the history of race and how it has shaped our institution. (Recorded virtual tour available now).
  
  
• Book of the Month Discussion: “Trauma and Race: A Path to Well-Being” | Feb. 27, 12-1 p.m. | Registration Required | Guest Speaker Rev. Dr. Micah McCreary, President, New Brunswick Theological Seminary, New Jersey. Co-facilitated by UVA Health's Kimberley Barker, MLS, Claude Moore Health Sciences Library, and Melody M. Pannell, DMin., MSW, M.Div., MACE, GC, Director, ODCE. While supplies last, pick up a copy of the book at UVA School of Medicine Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion or Claude Moore Health Sciences Library.
  

Resources | Articles on Health Equity

• Claude Moore Health Sciences Library | IDEA Collection: Black History Month
• A Look Back at UVA History
• A Twin Sister’s Quest to Conquer Breast Cancer in Black Women
• Cancer Disparities: Making Sure Everyone Can Get Cancer Care
• Reducing Health Disparities: UVA Health Launches Mobile Care

Connect 2025 Black History Month Series

• Bringing Visions to Life: Maurice Gough
• Alexis Halyard, MD: ‘The Benefit of Community’
• Alem Mulat, PharmD, BCPS: ‘I Can Be Whatever I Want to Be’
• Gregory Townsend, MD: ‘Creating a Culture Where Everyone Feels Valued, Included, and Respected'