Recognizing Black health professionals: Dele Davies, MD

For Black History Month, UNMC celebrates the achievements and contributions of Blacks and African Americans and encourages the community to reflect on our nation’s history. A series of activities are planned throughout February. UNMC also will highlight the perspectives of Black health professionals at the medical center.

Today, UNMC Today recognizes Dele Davies, MD, senior vice chancellor for academic affairs and dean for graduate studies.

How does Black history influence your life as a health professional or physician?

The collective stories of extraordinary individuals in time and place are what constitutes history. I have long been inspired to read the stories and stand on the proverbial shoulders and sacrifices of so many extraordinary physician role models, as well as others who made it possible for me to flourish as a health care professional and leader today. I am grateful for the contributions of outstanding Black pioneers of medicine such as James McCune Smith, Charles Drew, Jane Wright, Samuel Kountz and Rebecca Crumpler, among others, who were leaders in their day and whose records of accomplishments continue to motivate so many young Black children, men and women to strive for excellence. Their body of work coupled with the sacrifices and of leaders like the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. has enabled so many persons of color like me to be where we are today.

Why is it important to you that we celebrate Black History Month in health care?

It is important that we celebrate and highlight those whose accomplishments have paved the way for the advances that have helped not only persons of color but persons of every race, gender and creed but are often easy to overlook. While we have come a long way, we still have much further to go close the health disparities gap facing African American and other minority communities. Highlighting and celebrating the stories of those who have gone before us will help inspire the next generation of Black health care professionals, engineers, policy makers and others who are most likely to be the ones who dedicate their lives to solving the complex social and health issues that contribute to health disparities among Black communities.