Keynote speaker Boston City Councilor Ruthzee Louijeune to receive 2026 President’s Award

 BOSTON, MA, ISSUED FEBRUARY 4, 2026…Whittier Street Health Center, a community health center with a mission to serve as a center of excellence that provides high quality and accessible health care and social services that achieve health equity, social justice, and the economic well-being of a diverse patient population, will conduct its 2026 Annual Meeting in conjunction with a Black History Month Celebration on Thursday, February 26^, from noon to 2 p.m. at the Frederica M. Williams Building at 1290 Tremont Street, Roxbury.

This year’s Annual Meeting, themed “From Care to Connection,” will feature Boston City Councilor At-Large Ruthzee Louijeune as the keynote address and recipient of Whittier Street Health Center’s 2026 President’s Award. The award is presented to outstanding community leaders who exemplify courage, commitment, vision, and unwavering leadership in advancing health equity and social justice.

Boston City Councilor At-Large Ruthzee Louijeune is a justice-focused, equity-driven leader whose mission centers on expanding opportunity, protecting vulnerable and underserved residents, and building a more inclusive Boston. Her work blends legal advocacy, housing justice, and community empowerment, shaped by her roots growing up in Mattapan and Hyde Park as the proud daughter of Haitian immigrants. Now in her third year as a City Councilor, she made history in 2022 as the first Haitian American elected to Boston municipal government. A housing attorney by training, Louijeune is a graduate of Columbia University, Harvard Law School, and Harvard Kennedy School of Government.

“Black History Month reminds us that the fight for justice, dignity, and health equity has always been led by communities who believe deeply in caring for one another,” said Louijeune.  “Institutions like Whittier Street Health Center carry that legacy forward every day by turning care into connection and ensuring our communities not only survive, but thrive.”

“As we honor Black History Month, we are reminded that our work is rooted in a legacy of courage, resilience, and collective responsibility,” said Frederica M. Williams, president and CEO of Whittier Street Health Center, who will share the State of Whittier Community Health Systems address during the annual meeting portion of the event. “Councilor Louijeune embodies these principles through her unwavering commitment to justice, equity, and the well-being of all in our communities. We are proud to recognize her leadership and to celebrate the power of connection in advancing health equity for all.”

The annual meeting will be followed by a celebration of Black History Month, centered on the theme “A Century of Black History Commemoration.”

Celebrated every February, Black History Month is a time to honor and amplify the history and contributions of Black Americans in shaping every facet of society. This year’s observance carries special significance as 2026 marks the centennial anniversary of Black History Month celebrations in the United States.

About Whittier Street Health Center

Whittier Street Health Center is an independently licensed community health care center with a mission of providing high quality, reliable and accessible primary healthcare for diverse populations while promoting wellness and eliminating health and social disparities. A champion of equitable access to high quality, patient-focused care, social justice and economic equity, Whittier Street Health Center is accredited by The Joint Commission (TJC), certified by the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) as a Patient-Centered Medical Home, and recognized by the NCQA for its Behavioral Health Integration. Through its locations in Roxbury and North Dorchester, and its Mobile Health Van program, Whittier Street Health Center serves more than 30,000 patients and 20,000 community outreach visits annually; its ethnically and racially diverse patient base is primarily made up of individuals from Roxbury, Dorchester, Jamaica Plain, the South End and greater Boston. Approximately 28% of Whittier’s patients are uninsured. Whittier Street Health Center provides a comprehensive array of 40 healthcare programs and services designed to meet the primary health care, behavioral health, and social needs of the community. For more information, please visit www.wshc.org as well as Facebook (www.facebook.com/WhittierStreetHealthCenter), Twitter (@Whittier_Boston), or LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/company/whittier-street-health-center), or call 617-989-3221.