I recently attended the funeral/celebration of life for Beverly Hamilton Robinson. I first met Beverly in 1982, the first year when I became a drug counselor. Beverly and other African American leaders in the addictions profession concluded that the additions profession was a growing field and that the Black community being greatly impacted by addiction had to prepare a generation of counselors to become certified as addictions professionals.
Beverly and these other great leaders trained my generation to become certified addictions counselors. She also invited us to become members of the National Black Alcoholism Council (NBAC), a national organization which advocated for culturally responsive treatment and policies for African Americans with addictions. Beverly invited me to give my first professional speech ever at NBAC and 42 years later I am still delivering speeches on addictions, treatment and recovery in Black communities.
Beverly was a proud African American woman who made others feel proud of who they were. She was like royalty. In his autobiography, Malcolm X said of singer Billie Holiday, "I met a queen and her name was Billie Holiday.” I met a queen before as well and her name is Beverly Hamilton Robinson. Rest in peace Beverly.