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Cooper Honors North Carolina's Black Health Leaders

Dr. Alvin Blount, Jr. was among those honored by Gov. Roy Cooper for African American contributions in health and medicine. Blount was a litigant in a lawsuit that contributed to the desegregation of hospitals throughout the South. Photo courtesy of Cone Health.

Governor Roy Cooper has honored North Carolina's African American leaders and organizations in health and medicine. The recognition came as part of the state's celebration of Black History Month.

In an announcement on Friday, Cooper expressed gratitude for the contributions of African Americans in the fields of health and medicine. But he also acknowledged that the state “still has work to do” when it comes to equity in health care.

Cooper signed an executive order in June establishing a task force to address racial disparities in health care and economic institutions that have been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Cooper's proclamation on Friday cited a number of honorees from the Triad, including Dr. Charlotte Green, President of Guilford County's Old North State Medical Society, which also received a mention as one of the oldest medical organizations for African Americans in the U.S.

Also honored were Dr. Goldie Byrd, the director of the Maya Angelou Center for Health Equity in Winston-Salem, and Dr. Alvin Blount Jr., the first black surgeon admitted to the medical staff of Cone Hospital. Blount was a litigant in a lawsuit that contributed to the desegregation of hospitals throughout the South.

In addition, recognition was given to the North Carolina Association of Colored Graduate Nurses, formed in 1902 to advocate for Black nurses' rights and help advance health initiatives in Black communities. 

Neal Charnoff joined 88.5 WFDD as Morning Edition host in 2014. Raised in the Catskill region of upstate New York, he graduated from Sarah Lawrence College in 1983. Armed with a liberal arts degree, Neal was fully equipped to be a waiter. So he prolonged his arrested development bouncing around New York and L.A. until discovering that people enjoyed listening to his voice on the radio. After a few years doing overnight shifts at a local rock station, Neal spent most of his career at Vermont Public Radio. He began as host of a nightly jazz program, where he was proud to interview many of his idols, including Dave Brubeck and Sonny Rollins. Neal graduated to the news department, where he was the local host for NPR's All Things Considered for 14 years. In addition to news interviews and features, he originated and produced the Weekly Conversation On The Arts, as well as VPR Backstage, which profiled theater productions around the state. He contributed several stories to NPR, including coverage of a devastating ice storm. Neal now sees the value of that liberal arts degree, and approaches life with the knowledge that all subjects and all art forms are connected to each other. Neal and his wife Judy are enjoying exploring North Carolina and points south. They would both be happy to never experience a Vermont winter again.

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