. >> reporter: cloteal davis, a single mother with eight children, knew firsthand how badly families needed local care. so they organized and went after federal money to make their dream happen. health center executive director dr. robert cooper said what they did is nothing short of remarkable, because they did it without political connections or business experience. >> they were females and black at a time when either being female or black was not things that opened doors to women. >> we were four strong black women, and i'm proud to say that. because we did bring the health center in. >> reporter: cloteal and her friends gathered petitions, took their kids to countless meetings, followed guidelines, partnered with clinicians, even took classes on how to manage payroll. within three short years, in 1969, one of the first community-run health centers in the west opened its doors. with pride, cloteal shows off the center today, where she still works five days a week. >> back in here, back this way, optometrist. >> reporter: the range of services is impressive. >> yeah, this is dental