President Obama Nominates Dr. Regina Benjamin for US Surgeon General

- Related Stories
- Be Still My Heart: Obama Plays Spades on Air Force One!!By Michael D. Shear The president's official sched...
- Taraji P. Henson Shows Us The Curious Case of Benjamin ButtonThe name Taraji Henson and Academy Award are being...
- A Million Reasons for Bobby Rush to Help BlagojevichBy Mark Brown During the last three years, two Eng...
Just as confirmation hearings commence for President Obama’s nominee for Supreme Court justice, today he announced his pick for U.S. Surgeon General.
Dr. Regina Benjamin, an Alabama family physician, runs the Bayou La Batre Rural Health Clinic, which serves a small Gulf Coast shrimping community of approximately 2,500 people, most of whom live below the poverty line. Benjamin, who founded the clinic in 1990, gained national attention when she determinedly fought to rebuild it after it was destroyed by Hurricane Katrina in 2005.
In 2002 she became president of the Medical Association State of Alabama, making her the first African American woman to head a state medical society, and last year she received a MacArthur Foundation “Genius Award” fellowship.
Benjamin, 52, attended Xavier University in New Orleans and was in the second class of Morehouse School of Medicine. She received her MD degree from the University of Alabama Birmingham, and an MBA from Tulane University.
“Although she could have left the state to make more money as a specialist or a doctor in a wealthier community, Regina Benjamin returned to Alabama to open a small clinic,” President Obama said in a warm introduction from the White House Rose Garden, “When people couldn’t pay, she didn’t charge them. When the clinic wasn’t making money, she didn’t take a salary for herself. When Hurricane George destroyed the clinic in 1998, she made house calls while it was being rebuilt.”
The clinic was destroyed a second time by Hurricane Katrina, and again by a fire, but Benjamin has refused to give up. President Obama said that Dr. Benjamin told him, “The one thing I want to do is make sure that this surgeon general’s office gives voice to patients, that patients have a seat at the table and have someone advocating for them.”
In brief remarks, Dr. Benjamin mentioned her mother and uncle, who are both suffering from lung cancer due to smoking. “My family’s not here with me today, at least not in person, because of preventable diseases,” she said. “While I cannot change my family’s past, I can be a voice in the movement to improve our nations’ health care and our nation’s health for the future.
“Thank you, Mr. President, for believing in me, and in return, if I am confirmed, I promise to give you and the nation my very best.”
(essence.com)
- Recommend this?
Email This
This story is filed under: Politics
Now on Black Power
-
PoliticsBarnes and Noble Store Window Features Obama Alongside Monkey Book *UPDATE* B & N Spokesperson Issues Apology
-
Pop VulturesNew Orleans 9th Ward resident and Trouble the Waters star, Kimberly Rivers, aka, Black Kold Madina Goes from the Hurricane to The Rap Game
-
A Guy Named LeonLifestyleCelebrity Resolutions The New Year's Resolutions I'd Like to See Famous People Make
-
Arts & CultureJohn Hope Franklin, the Prince Who Refused the Kingdom Henry Louis Gates Eulogizes John Hope Franklin
- Barnes and Noble Store Window Features Obama Alongside Monkey Book *UPDATE* - 202 emails
- Two Arizona Female Teens Accused of Pimping Other Girls - 40 emails
- Who Really Killed Malcolm X? An Exclusive Interview with Khalil Islam Who Spent 22 Years in Prison for His Murder - 28 emails
- Please Don’t Be Black - 28 emails
- Farajii Muhammad Leads a New School of Leaders - 24 emails
- Shocking Numbers Show African American Community Flourishing During Recession - 22 emails
- Black Iraqis in Basra Face Racism - 20 emails
- Women by Design - 16 emails
- See Baby Discriminate. Can Babies Be Racist? - 14 emails
- I Just Don’t See Her in the White House - 12 emails
Black Power Announcement
NEW!! Blackpower.com is tired of listening to the same 10 songs on the radio too. So we’re starting an “Emerging Artists Series” where we’ll feature the music of up and coming musicians. We want to showcase new talent that advances the art. If you are an upcoming musician,and are interested in being featured in our showcase, please  send us an email with your music/video/footage and a bio. Let us know why you should be featured. All genres of music are welcome from rock to hip hop to R & B to Yiddish wedding music. Solo acts and groups are welcome.  Send submissions to submit@blackpower.com and put “Emerging Artist” in the subject line. We look forward to hearing from you.
Blackpower.com welcomes great minds and great writers.  We offer diverse points of view, from right to left and everywhere in between.   We would love to see your stories on politics, technology, entertainment or Russian puppet-making. Its all good. For more information, please contact us at info@blackpower.com.
Follow us on Twitter: www.twitter.com/blackpower2008


Awesome choice.
> Sharon
Excellent choice. A great role model for all.
> Carl Amnito
Interesting subject. I m really glad to read your blog. I m impressed with your good work. I have gone through many blogs but I found yours the most interesting
> Keitha Mohlke
Leave a Reply