Black History Month Dietitians
I could not leave this February without talking about Black History Month mainly black dietitians. I have completed in reading an excellent book called Six Eves Prevail Through the Garden of Nutrition by six incredible black dietitians - Vernell Britton, MS, RND; Laurita Burley, PhD, RDN, LD; Annie Carr, MS, RDN; Frances Cook, MA, RDN; Catherine Cowell, MS, PhD and Wilma Ardine Kirchhofer, MPH, PhD. These are the ladies that I have over the years look up to and admired! Each fellow dietitian in this book discussed on how they became a dietitian and how they were able to defy the odds to achieve incredible success being black and female.
One of the things that I enjoyed reading was the dedication of the book section to the memory of Mary Hollis Glenn, MA, RD, LD. Ms. Glenn was a member of the planning committee for this book, and in 1973 she became the first African American to be awarded the Master of Medical Science in Dietetics degree from Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia. Make sure you read how this extraordinary woman's professional career began.
What I loved about this book are that the authors delve candidly about their lives and how they discovered their passion for nutrition and dietetics. Here are quotes from the book below about each author.
Vernell Britton, MS, RDN - Florida born, a world traveler, and a visionary; a graduate of Hampton University and Case Western Reserve University; she is the founder of Meriel's Miracles, an organization to support children in families affected by cancer.
Laurita Burley, PhD, RDN, LD - An Alabama native whose dietetics/nutrition career took her to the Midwest, the West and father South as she pursed excellence in community public health, employment at hospitals and teaching in colleges and universities.
Annie Carr, MS, RDN - A registered dietitian/nutritionist with 43 years + of experience in public health at local, state and federal levels, she was born in New Orleans, Louisiana and has traveled the world nutrition cultures of various countries.
Frances Cook, MA, RDN - A native Georgian and graduate of Tuskegee University and New York University highlights her successful career in developing a statewide Public Health system that provided nutrition services to Georgia citizens.
Catherine Cowell, MS, PhD - Born in New York City, she was influential in the development of the federal government's WIC and Head Start programs and retired as Director of the New York Bureau of Nutrition.
Wilma Ardine Kirchhofer, MPH, PhD - Iowa born and educated African American woman finds success and satisfaction in the field if Nutrition/Dietetics after a deliberate struggle to avoid teaching or clinical settings.
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