T. Thomas Fortune Cultural Center Partners with
TheJournalNJ.com | JULY 2021 25
Monmouth Medical Center
BY LORI DRAZ
The T. Thomas Fortune Cultural Center announced its partnership with
Monmouth Medical Center, a part of Robert Wood Johnson Barnabas
Health, as the exclusive sponsor of The Parker Family Legacy Room.
This permanent exhibit honors the history of a family of prominent Red
Bank Black doctors, who served their community for more than 80 years.
This exhibit will be housed upstairs and will be a showcase of these
medical professionals and educators, highlighted by visual art motifs,
mixed-media, artifacts and testimonials celebrating their legacy.
Every day, people ride up and down Drs. James Parker Blvd, unaware
of the important roles that the Drs. Parker Family played. In 1955,
-
mouth Medical. His father, Dr. James W. Parker Sr., was not allowed access
to area hospitals for his patients. The family is also the namesake of
the Parker Family Health Center, which offers quality healthcare to Monmouth
County residents who do not have health insurance.
The Parker Family Legacy Room will be formally dedicated as a
multi-functional space for lectures, book signings, community forums
and other presentations.
“The T. Thomas Fortune Culture Center has a fantastic track record
of providing research and education on the historical contributions of
Black Americans,” said Monmouth Medical Center CEO Eric Carney. “I am
so honored to partner with them to bring the public this exhibit which
will tell the story of the Parker family and how they shaped the landscape
of medicine in Monmouth County and the state of New Jersey. Cultural
education and awareness is foundational to delivering our promise to our
community. Quite simply, the more we understand the lived experience
of our community, the more effective we will be at promoting and supporting
health. This exhibit is only the beginning of our partnership. I
hope it contributes to important conversations about race and equitable
access to health care.”
Gilda Rogers, co-chair of the T. Thomas Fortune Cultural Center, said,
“This partnership salutes the legacy of the Drs. Parker Family and recognizes
the work that must be done to close the equity gap in healthcare for
Black Americans.”
/TheJournalNJ.com