The Cohen Clinic at Centerstone in Jacksonville to hold a Black History Month Town Hall

Each year, Black History Month gives us the opportunity to reflect on and appreciate the contributions that African-Americans have made in all aspects of our Nation’s history, including within the armed services.  Many have valiantly volunteered their lives to protect the freedoms of the citizens of a country that has not always provided them with those same freedoms.  African-Americans have contributed to military life throughout the entirety of American history, serving in every conflict since the Nation’s inception.  As of 2015, African-Americans made up 17% of active duty military members, more than their 13% share of the U.S. population.  Many consider the first casualty of the Revolutionary War to be Crispus Attucks, a Black man shot during the Boston Massacre while protesting British oppression.  During the Civil War, Harriet Tubman served as a spy for the Union Army and led troops in combat, in addition to her role helping hundreds escape slavery through the Underground Railroad.  In World War I, thousands of African Americans joined the fight to defend their country. These heroes risked their lives for a country that refused to admit that they deserved the same equal opportunities and rights as their fellow white soldiers.  Most recently, on January 22, 2021, Secretary Lloyd Austin became the first African-American to lead the Department of Defense.

During Black History Month, the Steven A. Cohen Military Family Clinics at Centerstone are sharing the experiences, challenges, and triumphs of Black American Veterans by telling their stories through a Virtual Town Hall on February 28, 2022.  We have a diverse panel that captures the experience of currently serving military members in addition to veterans of multiple eras:

• Navy Rear Admiral (ret) Vic Guillory   
• Vanessa Thomas; State Women Veterans Coordinator, Florida Department of Veterans Affairs  
• Navy Commander Collin Wynter, Executive Officer, Naval Station Mayport
• Dee Quaranta; CEO, North Florida Women Veterans  
• Ken Johnson; Special Projects, City of Jacksonville Military Department
• Major Lee Diggs, Florida National Guard
• Dewayne Blackmon, Programs Director, Travis Manion Foundation

We are honored to host this Town Hall and registration is through this link or the attached flyer.  https://centerstone.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_I2Iqlb7sRBK3YDqWAyQC5w