PCC Schedules Virtual Programming to Celebrate BHM

WINTERVILLE—Pitt Community College will celebrate Black History Month in the coming weeks with a number of activities that take place virtually and are open to the community.

Organized by the PCC Multicultural Activities Committee (MAC), the programming spotlights the national Black History Month theme for 2022: “Black Health and Wellness,” which pays tribute to medical scholars and health care providers.

“We’re excited to present a full slate of activities that are timely and relevant to this year’s ‘Black Health and Wellness’ theme,” said Regina Garcia, a PCC developmental English instructor who chairs the MAC Committee. “This year, as always, we take this month as an opportunity to ‘reflect-to-progress,’ and we hope students and the community will join us.”

The college has a pair of activities planned for Feb. 22, starting at 10 a.m. with “What to Know about Diversity, Inclusion & Belonging.” The program will feature remarks from Josefvon Jones, director of Diversity & Inclusion at Alamance Community College.

Following Jones’ presentation will be “Little Medicine Thing,” a video documentary on the late Emma Dupree produced by East Carolina University’s (ECU) Office of Health Services Research and Development with the School of Medicine. It begins at 11 a.m.

Dupree, an herbalist from Fountain, was the daughter of former slaves. Before passing away in 1996, she became widely known for her use of plants in the promotion of good health and the treatment and prevention of disease.

“Emma Dupree was known by those in her community as ‘that little medicine thing,’” Garcia said. “At a time when many African-Americans had no access to professional health care, she provided them with herbal treatments that she’d developed for therapeutic purposes.”

Pitt’s Black History festivities continue Feb. 23 at 1 p.m. with “Doulas: Providing Women with a Continuum of Care.” The program will feature Maya Jackson, founder and executive director of Mobilizing African American Mothers through Empowerment, discussing the important “role of black and brown doulas” and societal factors that have led to an increased need for their services.

Following Jackson’s presentation will be a question-and-answer session on doulas, who are not health care professionals but support individuals through significant health-related experiences, such as childbirth and miscarriages, as trained companions.

PCC will close out its Black History Month celebration on Feb. 28 at 1 p.m. with a “Men’s Health Roundtable.” The event will give PCC students and employees a chance to speak with health experts about historical and current medical issues, concerns and best practices as they relate to men of color.

02/14/2022