Dr. James Curtis’ 100th Birthday

The man is Dr. James L. Curtis. The Vivian A. and James L. Curtis Center for Health Equity Research and Training was named after him and his wife. Curtis celebrated his 100th birthday in April and continues to provide guidance and support to the center. The woman is Daphne Watkins, University Diversity and Social Transformation Professor in the School of Social Work and Director of the Curtis Center. Watkins directs the center’s work through the powerful lens of equity. “I am immensely proud of the center’s vision,” she says. “Many of our projects are really focused on our vision to promote health equity for marginalized communities in Michigan and across the globe. We are very intentional to have balance as we are guided by this commitment to health equity and make sure that we take care of home first. That is why we identify our dual commitment to communities in Michigan and across the globe.” The center is the Curtis Center. It has developed a research, training and practice agenda that makes equity a centerpiece of all its projects. Survey data reveals that, by a wide range of health care quality metrics, minorities still lag behind white Americans. Two of the center’s current projects include the African American Chronic Care Equity through Self-management Program, and Developing a Partnership to Address Violence Against American Indian and Alaska Native Women in Michigan. As the state of Michigan and communities across the globe continue to develop ways to honor the values of diversity, equity and inclusion in practice, the Curtis Center’s mission remains focused on the goal of advancing health equity for disproportionately affected populations.