| CHARLESTON, WV — The Herbert Henderson Office of Minority Affairs (HHOMA) is excited to celebrate April as Minority Health Month with a virtual lecture. The lecture is focused on health equity and is scheduled for April 3, 2023, at 6:00 p.m., and will be given by Rev. James Patterson. The lecture will premiere on HHOMA’s Facebook page and YouTube channel. |
 The lecture features Rev. James Patterson, and it is scheduled for April 3rd at 6:00 p.m. This lecture is free to the public and can be found on the HHOMA Facebook Page and YouTube channel. |
| Patterson, the 2022 recipient of the Governor’s MLK Living the Dream Award, has spent more than two decades serving the community through his ministry and addiction treatment centers as a licensed mental health and substance misuse disorder provider, and radio broadcasting. After being selected to serve on the state’s COVID-19 Commission on African American Disparities in early 2020, Reverend Patterson shifted into overdrive, spearheading a statewide “Communities of Color” vaccination project and advocating for increased access to healthcare services for West Virginia’s most vulnerable citizens. Reverend Patterson also leads the Partnership of African American Churches (PAAC) as its Founder and President/CEO. PAAC is a 501(c)(3) collaborative, nonprofit, faith-based community development corporation, based in Charleston, WV. While the organization serves all communities, it intentionally targets African American communities throughout West Virginia, as stated on its website. In addition to his experience as a nonprofit leader and community change agent, he has been a pastor for more than 32 years. He received his BA in Sociology from WV University of Technology, an MA in Sociology from Marshall University, and a Master’s of Arts in Applied Community Change and Conservation. Reverend Patterson is an ordained Elder of the Church of Nazarene and serves as a director on many community-based boards including Habitat for Humanity. “Governor Justice’s COVID-19 Advisory Commission on African American Disparities played an integral role in reducing the burden borne most heavily by minority communities during the pandemic. As a member of that Commission, Reverend Patterson’s commitment to health equity was an important part of the solution,” HHOMA Executive Director Jill Upson said. |
