Moja Arts Festival to honor Dr. Thaddeus Bell, other community heros at gala

The City of Charleston and MOJA Arts will honor Dr. Thaddeus J. Bell and three other community leaders at the MOJA Arts Festival Community Heroes Gala at 7 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 24, at the South Carolina Aquarium. Tickets are available at charlestonarts.org.

Bell, a Lowcountry physician, community leader and lifelong advocate for health equity, will receive the first MOJA Arts Community Icon Award, a singular medal given to someone who has spent their life helping others. The honor comes 20 years after MOJA first recognized him in 2006 for his work in medicine.

MOJA Arts will also present Medals of Honor to:

• Cheryl Swinton, an educator who has served thousands of students throughout the Lowcountry and has been a cornerstone of the local education community through her commitment to teaching, mentorship and service.
• Joni D. Nelson, an associate professor and chief of the Division of Population Oral Health at the Medical University of South Carolina, has worked to develop the next generation of health professionals and strengthen the health care workforce in underserved rural communities.
• Marcus McDonald, a community advocate and multitalented artist who uses his voice and creativity to uplift and inspire his community.

“The MOJA Arts Community Icon Award is being awarded for the first time, and Dr. Bell is the appropriate first recipient,” said Charlton Singleton, the festival’s artistic director. “Bell is a longtime Lowcountry physician and national health advocate dedicated to making health information accessible, practical and personal through his ‘Closing the Gap’ initiative.”

“Dr. Bell has spent more than 40 years bringing care to people who needed it most,” said Mayor William Cogswell. “He, Cheryl Swinton, Joni Nelson and Marcus McDonald reflect the very best of Charleston, and it’s an honor to recognize them on MOJA’s opening night.”

Bell has dedicated his career to improving access to health care and addressing health disparities affecting African American and underserved communities. A graduate of MUSC, the Charleston-area family physician has spent decades serving communities without enough doctors and training future physicians. He is the founder and CEO of Closing the Gap in Health Care, a nonprofit focused on increasing health literacy through education, outreach and community engagement.

In 1980, while Bell was working at a VA hospital, a store owner in Cross, a small Berkeley County community short on health professionals, asked him to help open a clinic there. “I said, ‘Well, how much y’all going to pay me?'” Bell recalled. There was no money. Bell took the job anyway. For 10 years, he worked as many as five nights a week at the clinic, nearly 50 miles from downtown Charleston. The clinic was later named in his honor.

Bell also founded the Lowcountry Jazz Festival, pairing his commitment to community service with a love of culture and music. His honors include the Order of the Palmetto, South Carolina’s highest civilian honor.

Proceeds from the gala benefit MOJA Arts, the new nonprofit that plans the festival in partnership with the City of Charleston.

The City of Charleston Office of Cultural Affairs (OCA)

The City of Charleston’s Office of Cultural Affairs (OCA) guides the city’s investment in and curation of visual and performing arts, culture and history in one of America’s greatest cultural hubs. OCA plans the annual Piccolo Spoleto Festival and Juneteenth Block Party and History Lesson, and co-sponsors the annual, national MOJA Arts Festival. The OCA also oversees the Charleston Farmers Market at Marion Square and the West Ashley Farmers Market.