PALM BEACH GARDENS, Fla.—Black EyeCare Perspective will host its second annual IMPACT HBCU Event tonight, October 12 at 7:30 p.m. Eastern. IMPACT HBCU is a community awareness and targeted recruitment event that aims to create more Black Doctors of Optometry; Black EyeCare Perspective reports that, “Although, Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) produce about 40 percent of all doctors, future optometrists that identify as Black or African American make up approximately 3 percent of students in the 23 schools and colleges of optometry and less than 2 percent of practicing optometrists in the United States.”

Black EyeCare Perspective began hosting IMPACT HBCU last fall. The free virtual event raises awareness about optometry and exposes students and communities to a variety of minority optometrists who share their unique journeys and diverse practice styles. Tonight’s event will feature a panel discussion with Danielle Richardson, OD, of Los Angeles and Fayiz Mahgoub, OD, of Fort Collins, Colorado. 

Keynote speaker Michael H. Mittelman, OD, of the Pennsylvania College of Optometry at Salus University will provide updates from Black EyeCare Perspective’s industry partners and the Black EyeCare Perspective Pre-Optometry Club. Black EyeCare Perspective is hosting tonight’s event in partnership with America’s Best, MyEyeDr. and Warby Parker. Registration is free and open online here.

Founded by optometrists Adam Ramsey, OD and Darryl Glover, OD, Black EyeCare Perspective aims to cultivate and foster lifelong relationships between African Americans and the eyecare industry. The board also includes Essence Johnson, OD as chief visionary officer and Jacobi Cleaver, OD as director of program management. Black EyeCare Perspective’s 13 Percent Promise initiative is a call for equity in the increase of Black representation in eyecare companies, schools and colleges of optometry and optometry boards.