LAFAYETTE, La. (KLFY) — A quilt highlighting some of Acadiana’s top African-American influencers is now being showcased at the Ochsner University Hospital and Clinics (UHC) facility for black history month.
The quilt includes music legends, educational and religious leaders, medical health officials, and more.
Some of the histories featured date all the way back to the 1800s.
The idea came from the late Je’Nelle Chargois, a well-known Acadiana figure. It was her way of preserving history. Even though Je’Nell Chargois is not around to see the finished product, her daughter Myesha Chargois is continuing her mother’s legacy.
“I love when people come up to it and say, oh my gosh, I didn’t realize you were talking about this,” Chargois said. “It shows that my mom’s hard work is appreciated.”
The quilt includes a lot of firsts in the Acadiana community. Like one local doctor, Dr. Earnest Kinchen a board-certified general surgeon and pioneer in the medical field.
Dr. Kinchen grew up during the height of segregation. He said his life’s mission is refusing to accept discrimination and showing others they can do the same. That mindset led him to break societal, educational, and career barriers.
Dr. Kinchen said, “I knew I had to take a stand against every discriminatory action that existed in the world.”
He accomplished a lot throughout his medical career.
He said, “The first big barrier that we broke was the barrier of being the first African-Americans in the Charity hospital system of Louisiana.”
He was also the first African-American doctor with privileges at Lafayette General Hospital and Our Lady of Lourdes.
Dr. Kinchen says over the years he’s noticed the importance of building a bridge for the next generation no matter their race.
“Nothing is impossible. Don’t let your color get in your way”, explained Dr. Kinchen
Chargois said the quilt is important in the fight to preserve Black history.
“We are in a time where a lot of things are going on, and we are losing our history,” Chargois said. “This is what the kids and the people in the community need to see.”
