A new exhibit will be opening at the Central State Hospital Museum April 26 titled “Cuban Professionals Join Hospital Staff.”
Seeking Asylum author and photographer Jessica Whitehead, who runs the museum, stated the exhibit was inspired by a friend of hers named Rita Judy. Whitehead met Judy 13-14 years ago while she was working at River Edge Behavioral Health. Judy was a therapist at the institution.
“Rita came to Milledgeville when she was 12 and resided there her entire life. I interviewed her some time ago. She passed in February but was a Cuban professional that worked and retired at Central State Hospital,' said Whitehead. “While she may not be here now, she talked to me about her personal story many times. The exhibit will be dedicated to her memory.”
The exhibit will be about Cuban professionals that fled the country during the ‘60s and ‘70s to escape communism when Fidel Castro was in power. Many of these individuals came to Central State Hospital and went through specialized training to be able to handle and care for its patients.
“There were programs in the states for these professionals that allowed them to become certified without having to go through medical school again and speak English better. These were brilliant, well-educated professionals so that wasn’t needed,” said Whitehead. “This led Milledgeville to have a very rich Cuban-American population and I wanted to highlight their impact on the hospital.”
Whitehead’s interns, Evelyn Evans and Alex Gray, conducted all of the writing and research over the last three months with her guidance. The exhibit will go over how the influx of Cubans helped to fill doctor shortages, how some of these professionals expanded their education to help in specialized areas, and the Freedom Flights and why people were fleeing Cuba.
“My interns also conducted interviews with some descendants of these late doctors currently in the community so attendees will hear a bit about their experience leaving Cuba and growing up around Milledgeville and Central State Hospital,' said Whitehead.
On April 26, the exhibit will open from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. with free admission. A book signing will also be going on alongside the debut for Whitehead’s photography book Seeking Asylum. Refreshments with Cuban finger foods will be available.
“The goal of this exhibit is to share the harrowing stories of the families that bravely fled Cuba to find a community and accomplished so much,” said Whitehead.