Black EyeCare Perspective announces third annual signing day event

Black EyeCare Perspective will host its third annual signing day event April 25, 2023, in conjunction with Johnson & Johnson Vision . Since 2021, over 60 students have participated in Signing Day, and over $40,000 in matriculation grants have been awarded.

Graphic courtesy of Black EyeCare Perspective.

Signing Day celebrates the achievements of Black EyeCare Perspective Pre-Optometry Club (BEPPOC) members who gain acceptance into a school of college of optometry as part of the class of 2027. This event is part of the organization's pipeline for Black students in optometry.

Jacobi Cleaver, OD, FAAO, chief program officer for Black EyeCare Perspective, and future optometrist and past BEPPOC president Lauren Price will co-host the third annual Signing Day.

“As we enter the third year of Signing Day, we are ecstatic to announce the continued partnership with Johnson & Johnson Vision,” Jacobi Cleaver, chief program officer for Black EyeCare Perspective, said.

“Our inaugural Signing Day event celebrated the acceptance of 34 students into the class of 2025; the second Signing Day event celebrated the acceptance of 30 students into the class of 2026. To date, Black EyeCare Perspective—through our charitable arm, Diversity Perspective, Inc.—has awarded nearly $40,000 in matriculation grants to optometry students entering optometry school. Additionally, we have connected students to many other resources and opportunities in the industry and beyond.”

Adam Ramsey, OD, and Darryl Glover, OD, Black EyeCare Perspective founded Black EyeCare Perspective to cultivate and foster lifelong relationships between African Americans and the eyecare industry. Along with Essence Johnson, OD, FAAO, Dipl ABBO, executive director; Jacobi Cleaver, OD, FAAO, chief program officer; and Tiffany Humes, OD, business transformation manager, Black EyeCare Perspective is redefining the color of the eyecare industry 1% at a time by creating a pipeline for Black students into optometry.

Black EyeCare Perspective’s 13% Promise initiative is a call for equity in the increase of Black and African American representation in the industry to align with the United States Census population.

Students interested in participating in this year’s event can e-mail futureOD@blackeyecareperspective.com.

To register for this year’s Signing Day event, click here.

To join the club, visit here.

To learn more about Black EyeCare Perspective, their initiatives, and ways to support, read here.