Mount Sinai staff, family, and friends marched in the African American Day Parade in Harlem, in a procession that included a festive float, messages of health equity and antiracism, and the Robert F. Smith Mobile Prostate Cancer Screening van.
The Mount Sinai Health System sponsored the 53rd Annual African American Day Parade on Sunday, September 18, with a festive group of close to 80 employees and their family and friends in attendance. Held in Harlem on the third Sunday in September, the event is the nation’s largest parade in celebration of African American culture, heritage, and unity.
The theme of this year’s parade was “Good Health Is Essential,” and two members of Mount Sinai’s leadership were among the Grand Marshals: Gary C. Butts, MD, Executive Vice President and Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer for the Mount Sinai Health System, and Dean for Diversity Programs, Policy, and Community Affairs at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, and Pamela Abner, MPA, Vice President and Chief Diversity Operations Officer for Mount Sinai Health System.
The Robert F. Smith Mobile Prostate Cancer Screening van followed the Mount Sinai float as it proceeded up Adam Clayton Powell Jr. Boulevard, from 111th to 136th Street, making certain that spectators were aware of this critical resource.
Mount Sinai participants in the parade later expressed what it meant to them: “As a participant in the BLACC employee resource group and staff member at Mount Sinai, I felt a call to action as an African American to give thanks to my community,” says Celeste Valentine, Facilities Coordinator for the Facilities Management/Engineering Department at The Mount Sinai Hospital. “Both my parents died of cancer. Their respective passing moved me into the field of health care, and I am also an advocate of preventive health, dealing with my own health issues. I try my best to make sure that those around me get regular checkups and live a healthier lifestyle.”
Jacobie Ricard, Senior Director of Planning Design and Construction at Mount Sinai Morningside, wanted to acknowledge his colleagues for their role in the success of the parade, including Leroy Francis, Administrative Director of Cardiovascular Services, Mount Sinai Queens, and Kimberley Ennis, DNP, APRN-BC, Senior Director of Nursing, Mount Sinai Queens.
“As we proceeded, you repeatedly heard the same thing from the crowd: ‘There goes Mount Sinai!’ I now know that the Health System touched the lives of this community. The people of Harlem wanted us there, and they let it be known, from 111th to 136th Street. I was lost for words, as I didn’t expect this type of reception from the crowd,” says Mr. Ricard, who also joined the procession as a representative of the Mount Sinai Health System’s GOALS initiative, which works to encourage and empower Black male employees through connections and networking. “My role is not patient-facing, so this was an amazing feeling. To my colleagues in the Health System, this is a testament to what you do.”
Ms. Valentine had a similar reaction: “During the parade and seeing the faces of all the people smiling and waving at our float, I felt my ancestors’ spirit, especially my parents, applauding and hearing their words, saying, ‘Job well done,’ and ‘Good health is essential.’”