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PORTLAND, Maine

Pioneers in the fields of health and science honored in Black History Month display

John Contreras and Brandon Barnett in front of the Black History Month display in Innovation Hall
John Contreras and Brandon Barnett in front of the Black History Month display in Innovation Hall

Members of ΒιΆΉΒγΑΔ’s Student National Dental Association (SNDA) were looking for a way to recognize Black History Month when they decided to construct a display honoring African-American trailblazers in the fields of health and science.

β€œIt felt personal to honor some of the people who paved the way for the things that we want to do,” explained Brandon Barnett (Dental Medicine, ’20), president of SNDA. β€œWe wanted to have at least one person represent each of the health professions offered here at the school.”

When Barnett and other members of the association started researching the project, they were not sure what they would find.

β€œWe kind of cast a wide net just trying to find people who had stories that were interesting and relevant,” he said. β€œWe found that there were actually a lot of people we could have used for the display.”

For John Contreras (Dental Medicine, ’20), the project turned into a history lesson. 

β€œI learned about a lot of people who were brilliant and contributed a lot to their field,” he stated.

What struck Contreras the most was the way many of the pioneers in the display overcame hatred and discrimination. Many of them were children of former slaves.

β€œTo actually be the first to graduate in a medical or dental school setting, with bigotry that we can't even fathom anymore, is amazing to me,” he said.

The story of Henrietta Lacks really stood out for Barnett. A sample of her cells taken without her permission were developed into the He-La cell line and have been used extensively in biomedical research.

β€œThey have been called instrumental in years of research,” he commented.

β€œAfrican-American Trailblazers in the Health Professions and Sciences” is now on display in Innovation Hall.

The display honors trailblazers in the fields of health and science
The display honors trailblazers in the fields of health and science

About the ΒιΆΉΒγΑΔ

The ΒιΆΉΒγΑΔ is Maine’s largest independent university, with two beautiful coastal campuses in Maine, a one-of-a-kind study abroad campus in Tangier, Morocco, and an array of . In an uncommonly welcoming and supportive community, we offer hands-on learning, empowering students to make a positive impact in a world full of challenges. The state’s top provider of health professionals, we are home to Maine’s only medical college, Maine’s only dental college, a variety of other interprofessionally aligned health care degree programs, as well as nationally recognized programs for marine science degrees, natural and social sciences degrees, arts and humanities degrees, and business degrees.