Martin Luther King, Jr. and the Healthcare Crisis in America

Frank A. Thomas, Ph.D., Senior Pastor at the Mississippi Boulevard Christian Church in Memphis, TN, will discuss race, poverty and disparities in healthcare as part of the Martin Luther King, Jr. Celebration keynote address on the Portland Campus.

Dr. Thomas is a preacher, teacher, lecturer, author and scholar. His most recent book, Preaching With Sacred Fire:  An Anthology of African American Sermons, 1750 to the Present was released in August 2010. 

He has published extensively including The Lord's Prayer In Times Such as These and 9.11.01: African American Leaders Respond to an American Tragedy.

Dr. Thomas is the CEO of Hope For Life International, Inc., publisher of The African American Pulpit.  Within the community, he is a member of the Tennessee Access to Justice Commission, Memphis Medical Center, Church Health Center and the Mid-South Chapter of the American Red Cross boards. 

Thomas holds a Ph.D. in Communications (Rhetoric) from the University of Memphis, D.Min. degrees from Chicago Theological Seminary and United Theological Seminary, a Master of Divinity degree from Chicago Theological Seminary and a Master of Arts degree in African-Caribbean Studies from Northeastern Illinois University.  He is also a member of the Martin Luther King, Jr. Board of Preachers at Morehouse College.

Within the community, he is a member of the Tennessee Access to Justice Commission, Memphis Medical Center, Church Health Center and the Mid-South Chapter of the American Red Cross boards. Dr. Thomas holds multiple advanced degrees including a Ph.D. in Communications from the University of Memphis with a concentration in Rhetoric and a focus on MLK, Jr.

At the conclusion of this workshop, students will be able to:

• Recognize how Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s quest for justice and equality is still relevant today by examining how race, racism, poverty and social injustices exist in contemporary times.
• Explore some of the leading reasons and ways there are disparities in health and healthcare based on economic factors that disproportionately affect minority populations.
• In the spirit of MLK, Jr. dream, recognize the role of healthcare professionals in understanding and breaking down barriers to health.

 
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