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Due to technical difficulties, some of the video links in this website no longer work. We are uncertain as to when or if we will be able to correct these problems. However, the video clips constitute only a small portion of the material in this website. Moreover, the full transcripts of the oral histories from which the video clips were drawn can be found by following the "Resources" link below.

To Bear Fruit For Our Race College of Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

Houston Medical Forum (1955-1980, Section 3)

1958

the city’s African-American physicians decided to form the Houston Medical Forum (HMF) to address the particular concerns of black doctors and their patients. Despite the advances of the past decade, discriminatory practices still foreclosed many alternatives. The continued refusal of most white hospitals in Houston to extend privileges reflected the persistence of Jim Crow segregation. In the face of such segregation, African Americans continued to face health crises.

Since its inception, the HMF has sought to promote the art and science of medicine among its members and to improve the quality of care for the city’s African-American community whose members constituted the bulk of their patients. Regular meetings have given HMF participants the opportunity to discuss developments in diagnostic tests, surgical procedures, and pharmaceuticals. Over time, they have provided scholarships for black medical students also. 

screen grab of Dr. Hunter III video; click to play

Hear Dr. Hunter III discuss the role of Houston Medical Forum and describe problems its members helped overcome.

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