Each February, the nation and the American Red Cross celebrate Black History Month. All this month here on the Red Cross Philly blog we honor our Black colleagues that are part of our local Red Cross team. We invited them to be guest bloggers to share their thoughts and stories as proud Red Crossers that make up our diverse team here in Southeastern Pennsylvania. Please note, the views expressed in this blog post are of the author and not necessarily those of the American Red Cross. To learn more about Diversity and Inclusion values at the Red Cross, please visit https://www.redcross.org/about-us/who-we-are/governance/corporate-diversity.html.

Today’s blog is written by Dr. Majorie Dejoie-Brewer, American Red Cross volunteer and member of the American Red Cross Southeastern Pennsylvania Region Diversity and Inclusion Committee.

As an African American Caribbean female, I take great pride in Black History Month and my heritage.  I relish in the thought of the capabilities of my community and that this month is dedicated to shining a light on the beauty that is the African Diaspora.

We are a generous, talented and resilient tribe, but we are not always painted in that light in social media and the news.  Black History Month gives us an opportunity to unite our voices to showcase our many contributions, blessings, and gifts.

My connection with the American Red Cross is both personal and professional and deeply important to me.  It started over 20 years ago with the inception of the Blue Tag program, which identifies sickle cell donors.

It has evolved to include representing the sickle cell community through organizing blood drives and sponsored events, participating in community initiatives, discussing the importance of blood donations from the African American community on different platforms, and providing in-house educational seminars to staff and executives. I am thankful to the American Red Cross for being a valuable and long-standing partner of our community and for answering the call for more diversity, inclusion and equity.

Sickle cell disease is an inherited condition that causes red blood cells to be hard and crescent-shaped, making it difficult for blood to flow smoothly and carry oxygen to the rest of the body. In the U.S., about 100,000 people of various racial and ethnic backgrounds, approximately 90 percent of whom are of African descent, are living with sickle cell disease. Regular blood transfusions are often used as a critical treatment for sickle cell patients, and blood donated by someone with a similar ethnicity is less likely to cause complications. To learn more, visit redcrossblood.org/donate-blood/blood-types/diversity/sicklecell.html.

Main image description: Photo of Dr. Majorie Dejoie-Brewer