Guest Blog: Washington Psychiatric Society Celebrates 75 Anniversary with the Charles Prudhomme Human Rights Award
*This piece is republished from eNews, the monthly newsletter of the Washington Psychiatric Society, January 2024 issue.
As part of our ongoing commitment to behavioral health, PRMS is pleased to feature as a guest blogger this month Dr. Anne Marie Dietrich, FAPA, Washington Psychiatric Society President. Dr. Dietrich introduces the Dr. Charles Prudhomme Human Rights Award offered by WPS in honor of the organization’s 75th anniversary.
This year, 2024, the Washington Psychiatric Society (WPS) is celebrating 75 years since its founding. One of the original members of WPS, Dr. Charles Prudhomme, a psychiatrist, psychoanalyst, and professor at Howard University Hospital (his alma mater), had several notable accomplishments, including:
- Advocating for the APA to submit an Amicus Brief in the Brown v. Board of Education case before the Supreme Court.
- Being appointed to the DC Mental Health Commission in 1962 and being the first African American to serve on it.
- Co-founding the Black Psychiatrists of America.
- Serving as Vice-President of the APA from 1970-1971, the first African American to do so in the APA’s history.
The Prudhomme Human Rights Award, originated by Doctors Eliot Sorel and Constance E. Dunlap, was conceived to honor the spirit and the legacy of Dr. Prudhomme. The award will be presented annually to well deserving recipients, individuals, or organizations, at the WPS Awards banquet. It is intended to honor individuals or organizations who have demonstrated through their courageous actions continued and successful commitment to advocating for human rights regarding health, as well as education affecting historically marginalized individuals, families and organizations, and demonstrating success in advancing those goals.
WPS welcomed nominations of well deserving individuals and organizations from the public, private, and non-governmental (NGOs), and philanthropic communities to be considered for this inspiriting award from November 1, 2023, until February 1, 2024. The award will be presented to Dr. Ruth Shim on April 13, 2024, at the WPS 75th Anniversary Gala Celebration at the Salamander Hotel in Washington, DC. All information about the awardee can be found on the WPS website: Prudhomme Award - Washington Psychiatric Society (dcpsych.org)
PRMS is honored to support Washington Psychiatric Society, and we congratulate both Dr. Shim, the award winner, on her incredible accomplishments and WPS on its 75th anniversary!
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