On Tuesday, November 10, 2009 Fred Simms of Building Bridges presented Jacquelyn Hallum with the 2009 Dr. Charles Blair Building Bridges Award.  Photo: Courtesy of Building Bridges

staff reports

Building Bridges of Asheville is proud to announce the recipient of the 2009 Dr. Charles Blair Building Bridges Award. Ms. Jacquelyn Hallum, MBA, MHA has been awarded this honor for her significant and ongoing contributions to the mission of Building Bridges in the greater Asheville community.

Building Bridges of Asheville seeks to enable the Asheville community to confront and overcome racism through a continuing process of changing attitudes and hearts by offering education, consciousness-raising, nurturing, and ongoing support. Building Bridges was established in 1993 and offers nine-week-long sessions twice each year, including seminars and small group discussions on race relations and community building.

The Dr. Charles Blair Building Bridges Award was recently established to recognize individuals in the community who reflect the spirit and dedication of Dr. Charles Blair to overcome racism and racial disparity. One of the founders of Building Bridges of Asheville, Dr. Blair’s profound impact on the Asheville community was also achieved through his work as a trusted physician to underserved patients and as the founder of the Asheville Buncombe Institute of Parity Achievement, an organization aimed at addressing economic, social, and health disparities for minorities.

Jacquelyn Hallum currently serves as the Director of Health Careers and Diversity Management at the Mountain Area Health Education Center (MAHEC). She is a native of Asheville and has been an advocate for social justice most of her adult life. Ms. Hallum’s work in health careers and workforce diversity covers the 16 westernmost counties of North Carolina. She has been providing training and learning experiences in workforce diversity and multicultural education for over ten years, and has been an active supporter of Building Bridges as a session leader and facilitator.

All are invited to participate in the next session Building Bridges session, beginning on January 25, 2010. Continuing education credits are awarded to teachers, health care professionals, and United Methodist ministers for participation in the program.
For more information about Building Bridges and for details about how to enroll in the upcoming Building Bridges session, visit www.buildingbridges-asheville.org.