[Congressional Record Volume 157, Number 41 (Thursday, March 17, 2011)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E522-E523]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




     HONORING DR. ELNORA HAMB, DR. BARBARA SHAW, DR. JAMESINA EVANS

                                 ______
                                 

                       HON. DONNA M. CHRISTENSEN

                         of the virgin islands

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, March 17, 2011

  Mrs. CHRISTENSEN. Mr. Speaker, I would like to recognize the work and 
legacy of three phenomenal women for their service to the organizations 
that they serve and their efforts to eliminate health disparities in 
their communities. Dr. Elnora Hamb, International President of the 
Women's Missionary Council, The Christian Methodist Episcopal Church 
(CME); Dr. Barbara Shaw, International President of the Women's Home 
and Overseas Missionary Society, The African Methodist Episcopal Zion 
Church (AMEZ); and Dr. Jamesina Evans, International President, Women's 
Missionary Society, The African Methodist Episcopal Church (AME) 
simultaneously served in their respective roles for eight years and 
collectively served over seven million members worldwide--including 
members in the U.S. Virgin Islands.
  These women and their respective organizations serve as examples of 
how community champions are helping our country to achieve health 
equity. Seeing the deleterious effect of health conditions such as HIV 
and cervical cancer on their congregants, these women took 
unprecedented action to help eliminate health disparities in their 
community. As a result of the transformative leadership of these women, 
each organization entered into an innovative partnership with the Balm 
in Gilead, Inc. to address the health concerns of black women, focusing 
attention on issues disproportionately impacting the community, and 
developing the organizational capacity of each denomination to utilize 
its existing structures to deliver HIV services and other programs 
addressing health disparities that have long disproportionately 
affected African American communities. This partnership represents the 
first time that any black church denomination has partnered with a 
national technical assistance organization to implement and deliver 
public health strategies to the African American community.
  The leadership of these phenomenal women has resulted in thousands of 
women and men receiving education and interventions in areas of HIV/
AIDS, cervical cancer, and other health disparities. For example, each 
Missionary Society has established an office of a National Health 
Director whose purpose is to coordinate health promotion and disease 
prevention throughout the denomination. Further each Missionary Society 
has utilized their information organs to distribute critical 
information on HIV, cervical cancer, and other health issues which has 
reached readers worldwide. Additionally, each Missionary Society offers 
HIV testing and workshops on-site at their annual leadership trainings 
and many of their affiliated

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local churches offer HIV testing as a regular activity nationwide. As a 
result, the visionary leadership of these women undoubtedly has saved 
thousands of lives through these health interventions.
  Finally, it does not escape me that I am honoring these three great 
women during Women's History Month whose theme, ``Our History is Our 
Strength,'' pays tribute to the millions of women who helped create a 
better world for the times in which they lived as well as for future 
generations. These women are continuing the tradition of the great 
women who came before them by standing up and taking action to address 
one of the pressing issues of our day and to improve the health of 
African Americans today and in the future. Unfortunately, many of the 
women who are deserving of recognition remain un-named and unknown. We 
cannot let the same occur to these three trailblazing women. Thus, it 
is my honor on behalf of the women of this body, the Congressional 
Black Caucus and the entire Congress of the United States to recognize 
the tremendous work and leadership of Dr. Elnora Hamb, Dr. Barbara Shaw 
and Dr. Jamesina Evans and thank them for their selfless service to 
their congregants and their transformative work to eliminate health 
disparities in the African American community.

                          ____________________