Tubman Health’s 5th Anniversary Gala Illuminates the Past, Present, and Future
Attendees give a standing ovation at the Tubman Health 5th Anniversary Gala last Saturday.
All photos: Michael B. Maine
On a radiant evening beside Lake Washington, the Tubman Center for Health & Freedom celebrated five transformative years of healing, growth, and community power on October 11. The organization’s fifth-anniversary gala, A Night’s Journey, brought together more than 350 community leaders, members, and supporters for an unforgettable night of reflection, joy, and visioning for the road ahead.
Karina Patel, Public Affairs Manager at Tubman Health, spoke with pride on the importance and impact of the gala. “This event blew every expectation I had out of the water,” she said. “It was just a really beautiful event.”
Since its founding in 2020, Tubman Health has reimagined what healthcare can look like when it is rooted in justice, culture, and love. From countering medical racism through the groundbreaking Blaxinate! COVID-19 vaccination campaign to launching the Relational Medicine Model, the organization continues to chart a new course of medicine for the people, by the people.
Monisha Harrell, Emcee for the Gala & Community Ambassador, speaks at the Tubman Health 5th Anniversary Gala last Saturday.
The gala reflected these values in every detail. Guests were invited to engage through interactive activation stations—blending tea, creating aromatherapy rollers, and helping envision the interior of the forthcoming Tubman Health Center. The energy was electric, hands-on, and heartfelt.
The program was guided by a lineup of powerful speakers, including emcee Monisha Harrell, founder Danisha Jefferson-Abye, and board member Makani Themba, whose grounding activity invited the entire room to raise their hands in unison and feel the collective vibration of purpose. “We grounded ourselves in the fact that we were in that room together,” Patel recalled.
Among the most moving moments of the night was board member and cancer patient Curtiss Calhoun’s testimony. He shared how Tubman Health restored his trust in the medical system, even bringing laughter as he recounted his initial fear of acupuncture needles—now a part of his healing journey.
Nacala Ayele, Founding Board President, speaks at the Tubman Health 5th Anniversary Gala last Saturday.
Today, Tubman Health operates two sites in the greater Seattle area: the Freedom Clinic, their school-based health center at Rainier Valley Leadership Academy and the Healing House, their community clinic near Franklin High School.
“The Healing House is buzzing with life every day,” Patel shared. “We’re building out the systems and infrastructure to truly serve our growing community with care and intention.”
While Tubman Health currently serves approximately 350 community members in seven different counties and 54 different zip codes, they are over halfway to meeting their fundraising goal of $42 million for the construction of the Tubman Health Center, which is expected to serve 12,000 primary care patients, according to Patel.
The gala’s raise-the-paddle and silent auction brought the community one step closer to realizing that vision, demonstrating the collective power of generosity and belief in what’s possible when communities invest in themselves.
“This work is bigger than any one person,” Patel reflected. “Every time we come together—to celebrate, to reflect, to resource the future—we’re reminded of the love and power that fuel this movement.”
You can watch the gala speeches, explore photos from the evening, and experience the spirit of A Night’s Journey at https://www.campaignforhealthandfreedom.org/gala-2025-recap. To support Tubman Health, visit tubmanhealth.org
Did you enjoy this blog post? Then consider donating to Converge and supporting our mission here.
