In 1976, during the celebration of the United States Bicentennial, President Gerald Ford issued a proclamation that officially marked February as African American History Month to "seize the opportunity to honor the too-often neglected accomplishments of Black Americans in every area of endeavor throughout our history".

For us at KidsFirst, we are honored to embrace clients of many races and take this time to celebrate the efforts of Black mental health professionals to advance equity for African Americans, eliminate behavioral health disparities and improve health outcomes for all.

The Wall Street Journal describes Black History Month as "a time when the culture and contributions of African Americans take center stage.” Please take a moment to learn about the many experts that we hold in high esteem, those in our field that have championed information sharing and learning collaboratives to build prevention and treatment capacity. To advance the care of our clients, we regularly employ the programs and therapies that are the results of their work. 

As we celebrate Black History Month, please also use this time to talk to your kids about race, diversity and racism. As adults, we are our children’s first teachers and can set a tone and example that will help them grow into accepting adults.