Happy Black History Month! In honor of this celebration, In the Now is drawing attention to the National Black Occupational Therapy Caucus (NBOTC). The NBOTC advocates for Black occupational therapy practitioners and students and seeks to promote their contributions to the public. 

The founding of this organization started in 1974 at the AOTA Annual Conference and was created due to issues in employment, isolation, and discrimination among Black occupational therapy practitioners (OTPs). During the AOTA conference, several Black OTPs discussed starting an organization of their own to tackle these issues among the community. Several practitioners and students passed out notes to Black attendees inviting them to meet in the conference hotel lobby. The turnout was so big that the small lobby was not able to hold them all and the meeting had to be moved somewhere else. From that first meeting, the students and practitioners agreed to meet during the next AOTA conference to offer support and network with each other. 

Among the ten founders of the NBOTC are Jerry Bentley, Yvonne Flowers, Dr. Cynthia Hughes Harris, Wimberly Edwards, Agatha Jackson, Dr. Lela Llorens, Javan Walker, Willian Lofton, Joyce Lane, Bobbie Smith. Several of these founders have ties to Illinois! 

Dr. Cynthia Hughes Harris 

Dr. Cynthia Hughes Harris, PhD, OTR, FAOTA, received her BSOT from the University of Illinois in 1969. The same year she would work as a staff therapist at the University of Illinois Hospital. She would later work as an Instructor and Assistant Supervisor for the University of Illinois’ occupational therapy program. She would continue her education by receiving her Master of Education from the University of Illinois in 1973 and a Doctor of Philosophy in 1995. 

When she moved to New York after receiving her master’s degree, Dr. Cynthia Hughes Harris worked as a senior therapist at the New York State Psychiatric Institute. During her time there, she would move up to the position of director of occupational therapy services. 

She also had a hand in education as Assistant Professor and then Associate Director of the occupational therapy program at Columbia University. She moved back to Chicago in 1978 as Assistant to the Dean of the College of Health Sciences at Rush University and held leadership positions within the occupational therapy program, including as chairperson, until 1996. In 1996 she became the chairperson of the occupational therapy program at Columbia University back in New York. More recently, she has had leadership roles as Dean of the School of Allied Health Sciences, Provost, and Vice President for Academic Affairs at Florida A & M University.

Dr. Cynthia Hughes Harris is the recipient of many awards such as the Kellogg Foundation Fellowship for Teacher Education for Allied Health Professionals and the AOTA service award four times. Dr. Hughes Harris was very active in AOTA serving on several of their committees.

Dr. Joyce Lane 

Joyce Lane, PhD, OTR, FAOTA, has helped to influence occupational therapy’s view of social justice. She also had a big impact as a leader in volunteer work. One of her notable volunteer positions was as the local coordinator for the AOTA conference in Chicago in 1973. She received her BSOT from the University of Illinois at Chicago in 1969. She worked in several staff positions in Chicago such as the Illinois State Psychiatric Institute from 1964 to 1974.  Dr. Lane would then move to Washington D. C. where she worked as an instructor at Howard University in the OT department while continuing her job as a staff occupational therapist. She would then move on to positions as Assistant Professor, Co-Chair, and Chairperson of the OT department at Howard University. 

Dr. Lane would continue her education with a Master of Education in Guidance and Counseling and a PhD. Along with her work in education, Dr. Lane also lectured at different universities and was a coordinator for education and research programs. The main focus of her research was on policy decision-making, professional development, and social justice. 

Dr. Lane is the recipient of many awards and distinctions. She received the Kellogg Foundation National Fellow and the Continuing Service Award from the District of Columbia Occupational Therapy Association (DCOTA) in 1986. 

Her work did not stop there, as she worked extensively with AOTA on the Accreditation Committee. Dr. Lane chaired the District of Columbia Occupational Therapy Licensure Board and the Illinois OTA Research Committee. She was also on the Board of Directors of the National Society of Allied Health. 

Javan Walker 

Javan Walker, BSOT, MA, FAOTA, received his occupational therapy degree from Wayne State University in 1966. Prior to being an occupational therapist, he was Lieutenant Colonel in the US Army and Army reserves. He was a consultant and supervisor in healthcare. In education, he worked as the curriculum director of the OTA program at Illinois Central College. He would go on to receive a MA in education from Bradley University and then become Director of the OT program at Florida A & M University. Along with being a speaker and an author, Javan Walker also held leadership positions in the NBOTC and was Chair of the Professional Action Committee. He received the AOTA Roster of Fellows award posthumously in 1997.

What does the organization look like now? 

It is clear that the NBOTC has grown from its humble beginnings in the lobby of an AOTA conference in 1974. The organization is now home to several committees, such as the Communication Committee and the Student Action Committee. They also offer an annual scholarship honoring Frances Swift, named after the chief occupational therapist at Mt. Carmel Hospital in Detroit. The organization also provides anti-racism support through its Multicultural Diversity and Inclusion Network. They also have links with resources for OT practitioners who are part of  other minority groups

If you would like to check out the website for the NBOTC, please follow the link below or share it with others who may be interested in this organization’s work.

National Black Occupational Therapy Caucus. https://nbotc.wildapricot.org/

Robinson, L. (2000). The Black Occupational Therapy Caucus: The first 25 years: 1974-1999. The Black Occupational Therapy Caucus