GSDM celebrates Black History Month with virtual and in-person events

Boston University’s Henry M. Goldman School of Dental Medicine (GSDM) celebrated Black History Month this year with a wide range of programming, from virtual film screenings to an in-person celebration with food and interactive games.

“I gratefully celebrated Black History Month with the GSDM community, but I am equally grateful to celebrate Black future,” Dr. Larry Dunham, assistant dean for diversity, equity, inclusion, & belonging, said. “It is the energy and thoughtfulness of our multicultural community that heartens my global vision for the future.”

DEIBJ office hosts two events

During the month of February, the Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, Belonging & Justice Office hosted two events for the GSDM community.

On February 16, community members tuned in on Zoom for a viewing of “Legacy of Love,” a short film by filmmaker Roberto Mighty that tells the story of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and Coretta Scott’s time in Boston during the 1950s. After the screening, Mighty answered questions from the audience.On February 24, the office hosted a discussion with Attorney Josephy D. Feaster Jr., chairman of the board, Urban League of Eastern Massachusetts (ULEM), which focused on “bridging history as it embodies within our community today,” and highlighting the Young Professional Network (YPN-ULEM)

The ULEM provides a variety of services and programs to increase self-reliance, specifically in the area of workforce and economic development, by providing skills training, certifications, internships, and job placement.

“We want to be the hub to bring folks together, to work on issues that are affecting communities and neighborhoods,” Feaster said.

After providing an overview of the organization and its auxillary groups, Feaster and Jacquetta Van Zandt, who sits on the organization’s Board of Directors and oversees the YPN-ULEM opened the meeting up for discussion, answering questions on various diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives.

SNDA celebrates Black History Month with celebration

GSDM’s chapter of the Student National Dental Association (SNDA) hosted a Black History Month Celebration on March 1 in the GSDM auditorium. The event, which was rescheduled after a late February snowstorm, included food and an interactive Jeopardy game filled with facts and figures about Black history.

GSDM highlights Black oral hygiene trailblazers on screens and social media

During the month of February, GSDM highlighted Black dentists whose accomplishments have made a significant impact on oral health field across social media channels and on the dental school’s digital screens, including

  • Dean’s Advisory Board member Dr. Jeanne Sinkford, a renowned dental educator
  • Dr. Robert Hayling, a dentist and civil rights leader
  • Dr. Charles Edwin Bentley, an advocate, writer, and lecturer for oral hygiene
  • Dr. Jessie Gideon Garnett, the first Black female dentist to practice in Boston
  • Dr. Robert Tanner Freeman, the first professionally trained Black dentist in the United States.

Share this: