Ernest W. Kinchen, Jr., MD is the 2026 honoree for the Richard J. Catalon Sr. Creole Heritage Award, as chosen by CREOLE Inc. and the Catalon family.
Dr. Kinchen serves as a vital ambassador of the Creole culture by blending authentic preservation with a contemporary outreach, ensuring that the tradition thrives rather than survives. He and his family have participated in student exchange programs and activities with those of other countries.
A Lafayette native, Kinchen earned a Doctor of Medicine with honors in Neuropsychiatry, Ophthalmology, and Pediatrics from Howard University in 1965 and an internship and residency in the Tulane and Charity Hospital System in New Orleans while serving as a captain in the United States Army Reserves.
In addition to being a physician who cared for Acadiana residents for more than 50 years, Kinchen also was a trailblazer.
He was the first African-American resident in the Tulane and Charity Hospital System, the first Dillard University Rhodes Scholar candidate, the first African-American doctor with privileges at Lafayette General Hospital and Our Lady of Lourdes, the first African-American to serve on the board of the Lafayette Chamber of Commerce, and also the founder of Pride Plaza, one of the first multi-specialty medical facilities on the north side of Lafayette.
Kinchen conceived and initiated the Yearly Living Legend Program to provide scholarships and to inspire AfricanAmerican youth to reach their greatest possible potential.
Kinchen says his legendary accomplishment was organizing and being the leader of the first college protest march against segregation, discrimination, injustice, and degradation in the deep South which captured the eyes of the nation and had the coverage of every major news network in the United States.
He will be honored at the Annual Creole Culture Day Celebration at Vermilionville, June 7, 2026, at an 11 AM ceremony.
