The Multicultural Nursing Student Association (MNSA), a student group of the University of Miami School of Nursing and Health Studies, is one of several campus organizations working together to recognize Black History Month, or Black Awareness Month as it is also called. MNSA took part in the United Black Students opening ceremony for Black Awareness Month on February 3 and then two days later collaborated with 100 Strong, a pre-health student organization, on its annual “Black in White” health care panel.
MNSA members also created and distributed fliers highlighting pioneering Black nurses Estella Massey Osborne, Adah Belle Samuels Thoms, Ernest J. Grant, and Mary Eliza Mahoney, as well as Thelma Gibson and Jessie Trice, both of whom hold special significance for South Florida and the University of Miami. “The nurse you always hear about is Florence Nightingale,” said MNSA president Britney Simon, a junior nursing major. “But there were Black nurses in her time who were also making an impact. They were just less recognized.”
Awareness and recognition are important themes for Simon and her MNSA executive board. “Our organization’s main goal is to find community among the multicultural students in the nursing program because it’s already such a small cohort. Focusing on cultural recognition months allows us to really hone in on how culture influences practice, especially if you are a person of color,” she said.
Simon, a recipient of the Ronald A. Hammond Scholarship, which honors the University’s first director of minority affairs, emphasizes that it's not necessary to be a nursing student or even a person of color to join MNSA and its events. “We’re open to everyone,” she said. “It’s a great opportunity to learn, not just about health care, but about how health care affects people of color, how it affects specific populations…. Learning how other people are experiencing their lives helps you become a better person, makes you more empathetic, gives you a different perspective and a new outlook, and I think that’s a really cool part of our events.”
Here is MNSA’s Black History Month lineup:
- The Black in White Panel. MNSA is collaborating with host 100 Strong to support this popular annual Q&A and networking event on February 5, featuring nine Black health care professionals, including ’Cane Nurses Dr. LaToya Lewis, B.S.N. ’02, an associate professor of clinical at the school, and Dr. Geralda Duverny, D.N.P. ’12, a University of Miami obstetrics and gynecology nurse practitioner. “Hearing stories from Black people in the spaces you want to be, with so many different options and avenues and stories is so inspiring,” said Simon, who plans to be a certified nurse midwife. “It really gets you back on track if you’re feeling down or feeling some sort of imposter syndrome. It shows you it is possible. It’s right in front of you.”
- Valentine's Day Goodie Bags. New this year, MNSA members are preparing love-themed gift bags in time for Valentine’s Day with activity books, sticker sheets, and other fun items for pediatric patients at Miami’s Nicklaus Children’s Hospital. "After having volunteered at Nicklaus Children’s Hospital, I understand firsthand that regardless of illness, they are just kids," said Simon. "They just want to smile.”
- Pressure to Protect: Heart Health Awareness. On February 18, MNSA will present information on heart health awareness and conduct blood pressure checks supervised by MNSA faculty advisor Dr. Brenda Owusu and her fellow nursing faculty member Dr. Régine Reaves. The suggestion to link Black History Month and American Heart Month came from alumna Adriana Ortiz Coffie, B.S.N. ’01, a certified registered nurse anesthetist and mother of health studies junior Michael Coffie. “It ties in perfectly,” said Simon, noting that Black men, for example, have higher than average risk of coronary artery disease.
- Information Table. MNSA members will close out Black History Month 2025 on February 27 on site at their school by handing out healthy snacks and pamphlets about upcoming activities. Simon said one of MNSA's goals is to become more visible on campus. “We represent a small section of the school, but we’re still here,” she said. “We’re not going anywhere.”
