Presenter(s): Daniel Hinckley—History
Faculty Mentor(s): Curtis Austin, Ocean Howell
Session: Prerecorded Poster Presentation
In the 1960s, healthcare for minorities in the US was characterized by mistreatment and restricted access . Patients were not being treated with dignity . In a neighborhood Portland, the Albina district, the Portland Black Panther Party (BPP) looked to solve the problems related to mistreatment and lack of access to healthcare that residents faced . To address these health disparities, the Portland BPP founded the Fred Hampton Memorial Peoples Health Clinic, named after Fred Hampton, a 21-year- old leader of the Illinois BPP who had been killed by police . My research aim to uncover the goals of the clinic organizers . Using historical research methods, my paper relies heavily on primary source archival materials from local newspapers and interviews with clinic organizers . I consulted scholarly articles, JSTOR, American Medical Association archives, a Portland newspaper database, and census data . I argue that the clinic organizers’ goal was to reinforce a sense of dignity for the people in Albina through its social health approach that included creating a positive environment, treatment of patients, engaging the community, and promotion of community education . This body of information offers a valuable insight into the unique impact and goals of the Portland BPP clinic organizers in Albina . Shedding light on effective strategies that worked to address complex racial disparities in health .