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