Inside Duke Medicine
Duke Raleigh Hospital employees honor Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
posted January 27th, 2011
Mary D. Williams, psalmist and Wilbur Tharpe, pianist, led event attendees in “Wade in the Water”, an African-American spiritual that was used to communicate freedom from slavery.
Duke Raleigh Hospital employees enjoyed several events in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. The celebrations began on Monday, January 17.
DRAH's Diversity Leadership Team worked with various departments throughout the hospital to coordinate volunteers for the MLK Day of Service, sponsored by United Way of the Greater Triangle.
Employees served at the Brentwood Boys & Girls Club. They made repairs, helped club participants with essay writing and led discussions on Dr. King and his commitment to service.
“Our Leadership Team at Duke Raleigh values diversity and the community, and as an employee I can give back by volunteering,” said Tony Brazil, public safety officer at DRAH. “I enjoy representing Duke Raleigh in the community, and I know that volunteering on my day off was the right thing for me to do.”
On Wednesday, January 19, Rev. Adrian Dixon, director of Spiritual Care at DRAH, invited employees to attend a service in memory of Dr. King’s life. This is an annual event held in the John Knight Chapel.
That evening, the Diversity Leadership Team sponsored an event entitled, “History of the Black South”. The program was led by psalmist Mary D. Williams and pianist Wilbur Tharpe.
Williams is an African American historian studies performer with more than 20 years of experience performing songs and narratives about southern black culture. Tharpe accompanies Williams on her performances around the country and has more than 40 years of experience in music.
More than 70 employees and their families attended the event. Doug Vinsel, president of Duke Raleigh Hospital, and Carla Hollis, chief marketing and business development officer, opened the event with the hospital’s commitment to diversity and their personal stories in memory of Dr. King.
Williams used storytelling and songs to discuss slavery, the Civil Rights Movement and politics.
The event was held in the DRAH dining room and dinner was provided.