2019 Honoree – Celebrating the 15th Anniversary of Black Belt Community Foundation

On October 3, 2019, BBCF will celebrate its 15th Anniversary by honoring Dr. Edward E. Partridge who grew up in the Black Belt in Demopolis of Marengo County. Dr. Partridge’s work to eliminate health barriers and disparities among underserved communities particularly in cancer prevention and treatment has been a benefit to this region.

Under his leadership, the O’Neal Comprehensive Cancer Center at UAB supported a network of hospitals and thousands of community health outreach workers who closed the gap in mammogram screenings between African Americans and whites; doubled the rate of participation in clinical trials among African American patients and partnered with historically black institutions including Tuskegee University and Morehouse School of Medicine to bolster cancer research. Dr. Partridge is the former Director of the O’Neal Comprehensive Cancer Center at UAB; former President of the National Board of the American Cancer Society and a recipient of the American Cancer Society’s prestigious national Humanitarian Award.