Recognizing and honoring Dr. Arlene Parsons Bennett for her contributions to the City as a prominent community organizer and the first Black woman to graduate from the University of Pennsylvania's medical school, on the occasion of Women's History Month.

Recognizing and honoring Dr. Arlene Parsons Bennett for her contributions to the City as a prominent community organizer and the first Black woman to graduate from the University of Pennsylvania’s medical school, on the occasion of Women’s History Month. WHEREAS, Dr. Arlene Parsons Bennett attended the University of Pennsylvania medical school from 1960 to 1964, a period fraught with racial tensions, and overcame other barriers to get where she is today as one of only six women in her class and someone who enlisted in the military to afford college; and WHEREAS, Dr. Bennett is a born and raised Philadelphian, a graduate of Philadelphia Girls High School, and a resident of the Mt. Airy community for almost 50 years. Dr. Bennett has made significant contributions to the field of medicine and to the City of Philadelphia as the first Black woman to graduate from the University of Pennsylvania’s School of Medicine, breaking barriers and paving the way for future generations of Black women in the medical profession; and WHEREAS, Dr. Bennett initially worked as a pediatrician for over a decade, but recognizing the need for additional support for patients with mental health conditions like depression, bipolar disorders, and schizophrenia, Dr. Bennett made the shift to psychiatric work, where she opened her own private practice in July 1977; and WHEREAS, Dr. Bennett dedicated her life to serving the City of Philadelphia and improving the state of mental healthcare in the City through …