AOTA Spotlights History of Black Occupational Therapy Practitioners During Black History Month

February 15, 2024, North Bethesda, MD…The American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA) joins organizations across the country such as The Library of Congress, National Archives and Records Administration, National Endowment for the Humanities, National Gallery of Art, National Park Service, Smithsonian Institution and United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in celebrating Black History Month. We pay tribute to the generations of Black Americans, who despite experiencing centuries of adversity and pain, require honoring for their significant contributions to our society and the profession of occupational therapy.

AOTA’s Varleisha D. (Gibbs) Lyons PhD, OTD, OTR/L, ASDCS, FAOTA, Vice President of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, Justice, Access, & Belonging (DEIJAB) said, “I am honored to be an occupational therapist. Moreso, I am proud to stand here because of the fight and advocacy of those who came before me. To engage with them and hear them acknowledge the work I am doing…there aren’t words. My plan is to carry that torch. We must address the continued issues of the lack of diversity and inclusivity in our profession.”

History of Black Occupational Therapy Practitioners

There is a unique Black History for the Occupational Therapy profession. The Mississippi School of Occupational Therapy was the first school to offer courses in occupational therapy for African Americans only to be discontinued in 1939 when the state’s segregation laws required a separate department to educate the African American students, causing overcrowding in the program (www.otcentennial.org/100-events/1920). Years later, AOTA membership records indicate two Black women as members in 1946, Naomi Wright and Ruth Coleman Denard. Naomi Wright, MA, OTR would develop the first curriculum for Howard University (1974), a historical black college and university.

With the 1950s Civil Rights Movement’s fight against racial injustices, there were many challenges presented to AOTA, including segregation of Black American attendees during an AOTA Annual Conference in New Orleans. The AOTA responded by ensuring events would no longer occur in states practicing segregation and would be inclusive for all members to attend. Among those in attendance during that 1950 conference was Lela Llorens, PhD, OTR, FAOTA. Dr. Llorens is the first and only Black American to be awarded the Eleanor Clarke Slagle Lectureship (1969), an award for therapists who are making a significant contribution to the profession. She then became one of the founders of the National Black Occupational Therapy Caucus (NBCOT).

NBOTC was launched at an AOTA Annual Conference in 1974 as an organization whose purpose is to act as an advocate for Black occupational therapy practitioners and occupational therapy students to enhance and promote their contributions to the occupational therapy profession, national and state associations, and public-at-large. In that same year, a Historically Black College and University (HBCU), Howard University began their OT program.

Now in 2024, AOTA staff and board are collaborating to promote NBCOT’s 50th anniversary this year under the leadership of the current NBOTC president Riqiea F. Kitchens, PhD, OTR, BCPR, CSRS, NBOTC founders, and planning committee. Committee members include the current chair of Howard University's OT programs, Felecia Banks, PhD, MEd, OTR/L, FAOTA, Douglene Jackson, PhD, OTR/L, LMT, ATP, CYT, FAOTA, and Donald Howard, MBA, MS, OTR/L, CLT, President of Brothas in OT. The occupational therapy community will celebrate with a gala, and other events at the AOTA INSPIRE | 2024 Conference & Expo in Orlando, FL.

There are many in the Occupational Therapy community requiring honor throughout the history of the profession. We do wish to acknowledge the ten founders of NBOTC: Jerry Bentley, Yvonne Flowers, Dr. Cynthia Hughes Harris, Wimberly Edwards, Agatha Jackson, Dr. Lela Llorens, Javan Walker, Willian Lofton, Dr. Joyce Lane, and Bobbie Smith. Racial injustices and inequities remain. Yet, the OT community can continue to come together in solidarity to ensure our future as a diverse and inclusive profession where all can belong.

AOTA Commitment to DEIJAB

AOTA is committed to creating an environment where all people within our professional community are valued and able to give their best in the communities where they live and work. AOTA strives to recognize and uplift the diversity of our profession and is committed to creating opportunities to foster inclusivity, participation, and representation. Volunteers and staff act with intention and live AOTA values to be inclusive, equitable, just, and accountable in this work.

About AOTA

Founded in 1917, AOTA represents the professional interests and concerns of occupational therapists, assistants, and students nationwide. The Association educates the public and advances the profession of occupational therapy by providing resources, setting standards including accreditations, and serving as an advocate to improve health care. Based in North Bethesda, Md., AOTA’s major programs and activities are directed toward promoting the professional development of its members and assuring consumer access to quality services so patients can maximize their individual potential.

Media

To interview Varleisha D. (Gibbs) Lyons PhD, OTD, OTR/L, ASDCS, FAOTA, Vice President of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, Justice, Access, & Belonging, contact Jennifer Rignani, AOTA media relations at 412-977-5795 or praota@aota.org.