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About Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current | View Entire Issue (Dec. 13, 2017)
Remembering Vera Katz Three term tough but tender mayor broke barriers See Local News, page 3 ‘City of Roses’ Volume XLVI • Number 50 www.portlandobserver.com Wednesday • December 13, 2017 Established in 1970 Committed to Cultural Diversity Sita Symonette has helped make waves in equity and inclusion during her five year tenor on the board of Planned Parenthood Columbia Willamette. Now she’s the first African American woman to chair the board in its 54 year history. Driving Healthcare Equity First African American to chair Planned Parenthood chapter by D anny P eterson t he P ortlanD o bserver Planned Parenthood Columbia Willamette has a new chair, small business owner and health care practitioner Sita Symonette, the first African American woman to lead the board in its 54 year history. Symonette, the operator of Black Pearl Acupuncture in downtown Portland, was serving as a board member for the reproductive health center since 2012 and vice chair since 2015, when the board last month elected her to lead the nonprofit’s governing panel. “To step into this role is wonderful,” Symonette told the Portland Observer. “I’m really honored and humbled to be able to serve.” Planned Parenthood provides affordable sexual and reproductive health care with services that can range from contraception to screenings for sexually transmitted diseases and breast cancer. Narrowing the disparities in healthcare services among women of color is one of Sy- C ontinueD on P age 4