By James Mosley Jr., DC

As we look at the chiropractic profession from its beginning to the present, we see it has made great steps forward. There have been good times and tough times. But the most important thing is we work together for the good of the profession.

More than 23 years ago, Dr. Bobby Westbrook, a practicing chiropractor in St. Louis, Mo., had a vision to empower African American doctors of chiropractic.

He founded the American Black Chiropractic Association (ABCA) with just a handful of doctors of African-American descent.

Dr. Westbrook recognized that many African Americans were unfamiliar with the benefits of chiropractic care. He also realized that the chiropractic colleges struggled to attract minorities into their programs. This caused the schools to continue to have significantly low enrollment of African-American students.

Based on these factors, Dr. Westbrook founded the American Black Chiropractic Association. He hoped to achieve some of his goals through this organization. He also wished to share his vision with some of his colleagues and friends.

On September 1981, the first ABCA convention was held in St. Louis. Although it was not well attended (only 17 people), great strides were made to structure this organization: Students were invited from across the country to participate in this historical event. Officers were chosen and bylaws were established. The most important aspect of the convention was the networking between students and doctors.

Since then, the ABCA has held an annual convention each year. We have not forgotten our humble beginnings. Nor do we miss the important issues that surround our community. Each of these conventions creates an environment in which doctors, students, supporters and prospective chiropractic students connect on a personal and professional level.

For the last 20 years, members of the ABCA have mentored hundreds of chiropractic students. We have also archived many historical documents and facts regarding the African-American experience in Chiropractic.

Most college campuses already have an active student chapter of the ABCA. We hope to launch chapters on all chiropractic school campuses here in the United States and abroad.

Each year, we award scholarships through the Harvey Lillard Scholarship program. All student chapter members are eligible based on completing the requirements for the scholarships. The ABCA also hosts an annual Chiropractic career fair to encourage young African American students to consider chiropractic as a career choice. These and other efforts are supported by national organizations of chiropractic such as the Association of Chiropractic Colleges.

Today the ABCA continues to focus on the objectives set forth by Dr. Westbrook:

• Educate the African-American community about Chiropractic and its benefits;

• Promote careers in chiropractic for African-American individuals;

• Nurture, develop and market to present and future Black leader in our chiropractic community.

Today, Dr. Westbrook’s vision is a reality. The ABCA will celebrate its 23rd annual convention in Chicago, September 22 – 26, 2004.

As we focus on the new opportunities in the chiropractic profession, we see a strong need for more minorities in the profession. As the usage of chiropractic increases, the need for more minority doctor will increase also. As the profession ages, a need for different types of specialties and training will also increase. And as our field grows, we will need more minority teachers, administrators, and researchers to help in our profession.

We look at the future of chiropractic as it explores uncharted territories and see a great need for more minorities. Where chiropractic ends up is up to us. By becoming a cross-section of our community our profession will grow very rapidly. We will be able to meet the needs of the masses.