By Staff
Wednesday, August 17, 2022 12:15 AM
RANCHO CORDOVA, Calif.—Students participating in the Visioning the Future Mentorship Program representing eight Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) were recently recognized at a virtual ceremony for being accepted into schools of optometry. The group of 12 students were also awarded nearly $48,000 toward their education. Additionally, the program helps the students with long-term career planning, networking opportunities and other educational resources, according to a recent
VSP Vision announcement. The students represent the third cohort of the Visioning the Future Mentorship Program launched in 2019 by the Dr. Marvin R. Poston Education and Development Foundation, the
National Optometric Association (NOA) and VSP Vision to recognize students at HBCUs and foster their professional advancement in the field of optometry.
By Staff
Wednesday, June 22, 2022 12:15 AM
PALM BEACH GARDENS, Fla.—
Black Eyecare Perspective is sharing its support for a number of Black-owned independent eyewear brands and encouraging the optical community to do the same.
By Staff
Tuesday, June 21, 2022 12:15 AM
NEW YORK—
SUNY College of Optometry's Office of Continuing Professional Education will host another webinar this week on June 22 to explore the topic of race in optometry. For the last two years, the group has hosted sessions which took a hard look at the experiences of Black optometrists s students, residents, faculty and practitioners, with a goal of fostering a dialogue that would lead to changes in optometric education and in the eyecare industry. This week's webinar, in conjunction with the
Juneteenth celebration, brings back many previous participants to discuss whether substantive improvements have been made and where additional efforts are needed.
By Staff
Thursday, June 16, 2022 12:27 AM
NEW YORK—The See & Be Seen Frame Benefit will kick off on Saturday, June 18 and will remain active until June 25 at 11:59 p.m. EDT. The benefit, presented by Tarrence Lackran (
@TheOpticalPoet on Instagram), features frames with special significance designed by leading independent designers to support
The Vision Council's Opening Your Eyes Scholarship (OYES). OYES provides full scholarships and paid internships to high school seniors from underrepresented communities who have an interest in pursuing a career in the optical industry.
By Staff
Monday, May 23, 2022 12:21 AM
DULUTH, Ga.—
National Vision Holdings, Inc. (NVI) (NASDAQ: EYE), has announced the launch of its new Pride Collection, a limited series of gender-neutral eyewear celebrating Pride Month in June and the LGBTQ+ community.
By Staff
Wednesday, March 16, 2022 12:18 AM
PALM BEACH GARDENS, Fla.—Black EyeCare Perspective will be hosting its second Signing Day, scheduled for April 26, to celebrate the achievements of the
Black EyeCare Perspective Pre-Optometry Club (BEPPOC) members.
By Staff
Monday, March 14, 2022 12:15 AM
ROCKVILLE, Md.—The
Association of Schools and Colleges of Optometry (ASCO) and
Johnson & Johnson Vision announced the start of a unique partnership with an unprecedented sponsorship to address the need for greater diversity in optometry. “ASCO is excited to be teaming up with Johnson & Johnson Vision in our efforts to address the diversity issues in optometry today,” said Dr. Kelly Nichols, ASCO president. “We are beyond appreciative of this partnership and corresponding sponsorship, which is the largest in ASCO’s history.
By Staff
Wednesday, February 2, 2022 12:18 AM
NEW YORK—
SUNY College of Optometry and
SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University (Downstate) announced a partnership to establish public health educational and research programs on the SUNY College of Optometry’s 42nd Street campus. This partnership will allow SUNY College of Optometry and SUNY Downstate’s School of Public Health to expand access to public health degree programs while creating collaborative research opportunities examining health care disparities and access, particularly in the area of eye and vision care.
By Staff
Tuesday, February 1, 2022 12:21 AM
PALM BEACH GARDENS, Fla.—With nearly 60,000 eyecare providers nationwide, less than 2 percent of practicing optometrists and ophthalmologists in the U.S. identify as Black or African American.
By Staff
Tuesday, January 25, 2022 8:20 AM
NEW YORK—In honor of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day on Jan 17th, four members of
Transitions Optical’s Diversity Advisory Board share actionable ways eyecare professionals can foster diversity, equity and inclusion in their lives and careers in a new video to honor the leader. Viewers can understand the impact Dr. King and personal insights in conversations with Dr. Darryl Glover,
Defocus Media and
MyEyeDr., Dr. Essence Johnson,
Black Eyecare Perspective, Dr. Janette Dumas Pepper,
Southern College of Optometry and Dr. Devin Sasser,
Eye Clarity. The Transitions Diversity Advisory Board members also share their dreams for the optical industry and world and how eyecare professionals can honor Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s principle of equality.
By Staff
Friday, January 21, 2022 12:30 AM
ROCKVILLE, Md.—The
Association of Schools and Colleges of Optometry (ASCO) is updating it national awareness campaign,
Optometry Gives Me Life (OGML), by adding two new doctors of optometry to the program, refreshing its related
FutureEyeDoc.org website and extensive social media and video resources, and sharing the successful metrics of the initiative, which launched in March 2019. The goal of the OGML campaign is to increase the number of highly qualified applicants to optometry schools and colleges from a wider variety of demographic backgrounds, specifically Black/African-American and Hispanic/Latino students, so that doctors of optometry are better prepared to serve all communities. illustrating more about what optometrists can do and who they can be.
By Staff
Monday, January 17, 2022 9:30 AM
NEW YORK—In honor of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day, four members of
Transitions Optical’s Diversity Advisory Board are sharing actionable ways eyecare professionals can foster diversity, equity and inclusion in their lives and careers in a new video, being shared for the first time today, on the national holiday honoring the leader. Viewers can understand the impact of the most visible spokesman and leader in the American Civil Rights Movement from conversations with Dr. Darryl Glover,
Defocus Media and
MyEyeDr., Dr. Essence Johnson,
Black Eyecare Perspective, Dr. Janette Dumas Pepper,
Southern College of Optometry and Dr. Devin Sasser,
Eye Clarity. The Transitions Diversity Advisory Board members also share their dreams for the optical industry and world and how eyecare professionals can honor Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s principle of equality.
By Staff
Thursday, December 2, 2021 12:27 AM
PINELLAS PARK, Fla.—
Transitions Optical has announced the members of its Diversity Advisory Board for 2021-2022.
By Staff
Monday, November 22, 2021 12:24 AM
RANCHO CORDOVA, Calif.—With a commitment to further increase awareness about the optometric profession to minority communities,
VSP Global has announced a multi-year partnership with
Black EyeCare Perspective, a not-for-profit organization dedicated to redefining the color of the eyecare industry 1% at a time. As a part of the partnership, VSP Global has signed the
13% Promise, an initiative to increase equity and representation of Black students in the eyecare industry to better mirror the 13% of Black people in the current U.S. population.