TO THE CHAPTER INVISIBLE
was equipped with a mindset to over- come adversity. Due to the inherent circumstance, African-Americans were not allowed to work or be treated at hos- pitals such as Moses Cone and Wesley Long. In a Fox 8 news article, Brother Blount commented, “We had men who met all the qualifications to be a staff member except one, we weren’t white. We had tried almost everything in the world, and I use the term when we got mad enough, then we sought relief from the courts.” Brother Blount a civil rights icon, was the last living of ten other plaintiffs in a federal lawsuit: Simkins v. Moses H. Cone Memorial Hospital 323 F.2d 959 (4th Cir. 1963), where at first the courts ruled in favor of the hospital, but in their subsequent appeal the Supreme Court ruled that “separate but equal” did not apply to hospitals receiving public fund- ing. This ruling desegregated hospitals throughout the South and around the country. This historic case opened hospital doors to African American physicians and patients. In September 2016, the Cone Health Community offered a long belated apology to Brother Blount for their discriminatory past and neglect of African Americans. In efforts to reconcile an uncomplimentary history, they honored Brother Blount and the other litigants with a pledge of $250,000 scholarship to support students who seek opportunities within the medical field. The honorable legacy of our Brother Dr. Alvin Vincent Blount Jr. shall never be forgotten. Brother Blount was a man of great achievement.
Publishing achievement for more than 100 years
THE JOURNAL SPRING 2017 | 91
Made with FlippingBook - Online Brochure Maker