2026 Alonzo Homer Kenniebrew Lecture & Forum and the Kenniewbrew-McNeese Conference
Join SIU Medicine and community partners for the 2026 Dr. Alonzo Kenniebrew Lecture and Forum and the Kenniebrew-McNeese Conference. These commemorative events are an annual discussion of health disparities and other factors impacting the population. These events commemorate the life of Dr. Kenniebrew, a groundbreaking Central Illinois physician, and also honor the late Dr. Wesley Robinson-McNeese, with the medical conference renamed in his honor in 2024.
Dr. Kenniebrew was the first African-American physician in the United States to build and operate a surgical hospital, the New Home Sanitarium in Jacksonville, Illinois, established in 1909. At its peak, in the 1920s, New Home had 67 rooms, three laboratories, three surgeons and eight associated physicians. It served patients from 20 states and Canada. Dr. Kenniebrew founded the hospital because he could not obtain medical privileges at area hospitals.
The son of a former enslaved person, Kenniebrew was educated at Tuskegee University and was a friend, colleague and personal physician to Booker T. Washington. After relocating to Illinois, he persevered despite repeated road-blocks from the Jim-Crow world of the early 20th century.
The 2026 Dr. Alonzo Kenniewbrew Forum will take place on Thursday, February 12 at 5:30 PM at Memorial Learning Center and feature keynote speaker Kelly Hurst, Ed.D. RSVP is appreciated.
The 2026 Kenniewbrew-McNeese Conference will be held on Friday, February 13 at 8:30 AM - 4:30 PM at Memorial Learning Center. This year's theme is Hope in Action. Register by February 6, 2026.
The 2026 Kenniewbrew Community Forum is scheduled for Monday, March 2 at 8:00 AM at Memorial Learning Center. RSVP is appreciated.
HSHS St. John’s Hospital, Memorial Health System and the SIU Foundation are underwriting the cost of the annual presentation.