Odessa Brown Clinic

In Depression-era Chicago, a young Odessa Brown faced repeated denials of essential healthcare. When one hospital turned her away, she reportedly responded, “I am poor and black, but I will leave in peace so that I can keep my dignity.”

After moving to Seattle’s Central District and raising four children, Brown became a community organizer dedicated to ensuring quality healthcare with dignity for children in her neighborhood. Tragically, a year before the community clinic she fought so hard for opened, Ms. Brown passed away from leukemia at the age of 49. In her honor, grateful community members named the clinic after her. Since 1970, it has provided affordable healthcare to local families.

Today, the clinic is a trusted resource that offers children expert medical, dental, and mental healthcare delivered with respect, regardless of their ability to pay. Most of its patients come from low-income, ethnically diverse families. The clinic collaborates with community partners to reduce health disparities and provide culturally relevant care through various programs, including Birth-to-Five, Fit 4 You, and the Garfield/NOVA Teen Health Center.

Typically, clinic revenues cover less than half the cost of the services provided. Support from organizations such as the Lenny Wilkens Foundation is crucial for maintaining this vital community resource.