This Sunday, we honor Juneteenth, a celebration of the day when news of the Civil War’s end – and the abolishment of slavery in the United States – at last reached enslaved people in Texas. It is an opportunity for all of us to keep expanding our knowledge and understanding of Black history.
Recognizing this important day is just the beginning of the reckoning with the historical and ongoing racism and injustice Black Americans face. It is a sign of progress and a call to action to continue working toward substantive and sustained change.
Core to our mission at Northwest Kidney Centers is the ongoing work of fostering diversity, equity and inclusion in our care for people with kidney disease, our building a workplace free of hate and our advocacy for our community.
We celebrate those in the Black community who work to raise awareness for people with kidney disease, partcularly those who are disproportionally impacted because of institutional racism. Our 2022 Volunteers of the Year, the Mary Mahoney Professional Nurses Organization; and our HopeBuilders keynote speaker, Richard Knight from the American Association of Kidney Patients, do truly inspiring work in this area.
Through our health outreach and community partnerships with local grassroots organizations including the Rainier Beach Action Coalition, Neighborhood House and the African American Male Wellness Agency, we lend our support to the Black community.
We also know representation matters, which is why we are actively recruiting diverse candidates to serve throughout the organization – from our Board of Trustees to our direct patient care providers.
I am proud of the work we are doing in service of a more fair and equitable world, and I humbled to do it in partnership with so many in our community.
In celebration,
Rebecca Fox,
President and CEO
