Generations Gala Featuring Special Guest, Dr. M. Joycelyn Elders!

Planned Parenthood of Illinois' Generations Gala in celebration of healthy families is coming up in just a few short weeks! This event will feature several champions of women's health care. One incredible woman we are honored to have join us at the gala is Dr. M. Joycelyn Elders.

Dr. Elders served as head of the Arkansas Department of Health from 1987-1992. Her advocacy and lobbying led to an expansion of the state's prenatal program and a K-12 curriculum that included sex education, substance-abuse prevention, and self-esteem programs. She later became the 15th US Surgeon General, appointed by former President Bill Clinton in 1993. She was the first African American and the second woman to hold this position. During her term, she was an outspoken advocate for many health-related issues. She now is a Distinguished Professor of Public Health at the University of Arkansas School of Public Health, as well as a Distinguished Professor at the Clinton School of Public Policy. She continues to give lectures on issues such as HIV/AIDS and teen pregnancy.

During the Senate hearings on her confirmation to the US Surgeon General's post, Dr. Elders stated, "I want to change the way we think about health by putting prevention first. I want to be the voice and vision of the poor and powerless. I want to change concern about social problems that affect health into commitment. And I would like to make every child born in America a wanted child."

Dr. Elders has done some truly amazing and transformative work. We are ecstatic that she will be a special guest at our event.

We'd love to have you join us, too! Visit the event page for more information and buy tickets here.

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