Skip to content

A town square for an unsquare town

redbankgreen

Standing for the vitality of Red Bank, its community, and the fun we have together.

RED BANK: FORTUNE TO HOST PARKER ROOM

red-bank-fortune-center-051221-3-500x332-7796471Press release by the the T. Thomas Fortune Cultural Center

On the heels of Juneteenth, the T. Thomas Fortune Cultural Center announces its partnership with Monmouth Medical Center, a part of RWJ Barnabas Health, as the exclusive sponsor of the Parker Family Legacy Room – a permanent exhibit of the history of the family of prominent Red Bank black doctors, who served their community for over 80 years.

The space upstairs at the National Historic Landmark will be transformed into a showcase specific to the history of these medical professionals and educators. Visual art motifs, mixed-media, artifacts, and testimonials will enhance the richness of their legacy. 

The room will be formally dedicated as the Parker Family Legacy Room, which will serve as a multi-functional space for lectures, book signings, community forums and other presentations. In addition, there will be a multi-media historical retrospective exhibit of the Drs. Parker created exclusively for Monmouth Medical Center, at its Long Branch campus.

In 1955, Dr. James W. Parker Jr. became the first black physician on staff at Monmouth Medical. His father, Dr. James W. Parker Sr., was not allowed access to area hospitals for his patients. 

 “The T. Thomas Fortune Culture Center has a fantastic track-record of providing research and education on the historical contributions of black Americans,” said Monmouth Medical Center’s CEO, Eric Carney. “I am so honored to partner with the Cultural Center to bring the Parker Family Legacy Room to life. This exhibit will tell the story of the Parker family and how they shaped the landscape of medicine in Monmouth County and the State of New Jersey.

“While outstanding clinical care is essential, cultural education and awareness is foundational to being able to deliver on this promise to our community. Quite simply, the more we understand the lived experience of our community, the more effective we will be at promoting and supporting health. This exhibit is only the beginning of our partnership. My hope is that our participation contributes to the important conversations we are having about race and equitable access to health care,” continued Carney.  

On a daily basis people ride up and down Drs. James Parker Boulevard, many of whom are residents, and they do not know the rich lineage of the Drs. Parker family. An extension of the doctors is the Parker Family Health Center, which offers quality healthcare to Monmouth County residents who do not have healthcare insurance. Although the images of the two doctors, father, and son, are prominently displayed in the waiting area, the history of the Healthcare Center supersedes its namesakes. 

“This is a defining moment in this country’s history,” said Gilda Rogers, Co-Chair of the Fortune Foundation. “This partnership is important because it salutes the legacy of the Drs. Parker family and recognizes the work that must be done to close the equity gap in healthcare for black Americans.”  

Carney said, “Through this partnership, together, we are aligned to achieve better health, wellness and equitable access to care through openness, understanding and education.” 

For further questions please contact [email protected], follow us on Instagram @t.thomasfortune and Twitter @TThomasFortune9 and like us on Facebook @tthomasfortuneculturalcenter; please visit our website at https://www.tthomasfortuneculturalcenter.org to subscribe to our newsletter and to stay up-to- date on all things Fortune.  

Remember: Nothing makes a Red Bank friend happier than to hear "I saw you on Red Bank Green!"
redbankgreen Classics
Partyline
DEM GOV HOPEFUL FULOP VISITS RED BANK
110 people braved the ice on Super Bowl Sunday morning to head to Triumph Brewery to hear Steve Fulop’s case for why he should be our ...
REAL BRICKS!
Pardon our nerdiness, but we were excited to see the facade of the long-vacant building at 42 Monmouth being renovated with a facade that ap ...
NAVESINK SUNRISE
Sunrise colors Sunday over the Navesink. Shot from Maple Cove. (photo by Partyline contributor Thomas Doremus)
PET OWNER TO RED BANK: SCREW YOU
(photo and text by Partyline contributor Anna Cruz; headline by redbankgreen) Remember to scoop the poop!  
A HAIR DRYER IN A TREE?
(Photo and text by Partyline contributor Nicole Taetsch) If someone is missing a red hair dryer, it’s hanging from a tree on Oakland S ...
FROM DEEP LEFT FIELD..
(Photo and words by Partyline contributor Peter Cavalier) Shapes, Angles, and Colors: an Artist’s Canvas Where: A frigid Saturday morn ...
SUNSET ICE BOATING
Sunset ice boating Saturday. (photo by Partyline contributor Thomas Doremus)
ICY NAVESINK BLISS
Ice boating is back, baby! (Photo by partyline contributor Boris Kofman)
TEACHERS GET COUNCIL KUDOS
The Mayor and Borough Council honored five teachers from the Red Bank Borough Schools who were selected for the Governor’s Educator of the ...
RED BANK LIBRARY HEAD BIDS ADIEU
Eleni Glykis in her last day on the job in Red Bank Thursday (photo by Brian Donohue) redbankgreen stopped in the Red Bank Public Library to ...
TO TOWER HILL!
Parents and kids flocked to Tower Hill on Monday morning, taking advantage of the federal holiday and perfectly timed Sunday snowfall.
BROAD STREET IN WHITE
Taken during the snowstorm Sunday. (Photo by Partyline contributor Thomas Doremus)
Stunning Sunrise at Marine Park
Sunday’s sunrise from Marine Park. (photo by Partyline contributor Thomas Doremus)  
WALL STREET CLOSED FOR LEAK
Wall Street in Red Bank closed for water leak.
INDOOR SOCCER KICKS OFF
Pre-k and kindergarten aged kids were at Red Bank Middle School bright and early Sunday, participating in the indoor soccer program hosted b ...
SUNSET OVER FROZEN NAVESINK RIVER
Sunset colors Saturday evening over the ice shot from  Shrewsbury Ave. (Photo by Partyline contributor Thomas Doremus)  
ICY VIEW FROM TRAIN WINDOW
View of the partially frozen Navesink River Saturday afternoon from NJCL Train #7244. (Photo by Partyline contributor Karly Swaim)
RBR BEATS RBC IN BOYS HOOPS RIVALRY
 Red Bank Regional's boys basketball came out with the win at home against their crosstown rivals Red Bank Catholic on Tuesday in Little Si ...
FRIGID DINNER FOR WATER LINE WORKERS
Work continued into the late night hours on Bank Street Tuesday night as a crew replaced several water lines to homes under the town wide le ...
SNOWY THREE KINGS DAY
The three kings in the St. Anthony of Padua Nativity scene have a dusting of snow on their crowns as well as the gold, frankincense and myrr ...