African American Women Firsts in Medicine

Though today over half of medical school graduates are women, it hasn’t been a level playing field for very long. Women have had to struggle and fight hard for the right to study and practice medicine, and Black women in America have had to face the double barriers of racism and sexism in this struggle. For every career in medicine, there was an African American woman who did it first and paved the way for others to follow.

The First African American Nurse

The first Black woman in the United States to become a professional nurse was Mary Eliza Mahoney. Born in 1845, she worked at the New England Hospital for Women and Children for 15 years before she became the first Black woman to be admitted to their nurse training program in 1878. She graduated the following year and began working as a private care nurse.

Mary Mahoney was also a women’s suffrage supporter who was concerned about equal rights for women. In 1908 she helped to found the National Association of Colored Graduate Nurses. The organization merged in 1951 with the American Nurses Association, which still exists today. After the 19th Amendment was passed in 1920, Mary became the first woman in Boston to register to vote.

The First Black Woman Doctor

Dr. Rebecca Lee Crumpler was the first Black woman in the United States to earn a medical degree. She became interested in studying medicine as a young girl after watching her aunt care for their sick and infirm neighbors. She worked as a nurse in Pennsylvania until she was accepted into the New England Female Medical College in 1860, at 29 years old. The school closed in 1873 with Dr. Crumper as their only Black female graduate.

Dr. Crumpler worked in Boston after her graduation, focusing on treating poor women and children. After the Civil War, she moved to Richmond, Virginia. Despite the racism she faced in the South, she continued to practice medicine, treating freed slaves who had no where else to go.

In 1883, she published A Book of Medical Discourses, one of the first books on medicine written by an African American. After her death in 1895, one of the first medical societies for African American women was named the Rebecca Lee Society to honor her achievements.

The First Famous Black Female Surgeon

The first well-known African American female surgeon in the United States was Dr. Dorothy Lavinia Brown. The first Black women to become a surgeon in the South, she was born in 1919 and raised in an orphanage in Pennsylvania. She ran away at age 15 so she could attend high school, where the principal helped her to find foster parents and get a scholarship to continue her education.

After attending college and interning at Harlem Hospital in New York City, she returned to Tennessee in 1948 to become a resident at Hubbard Hospital in Meharry. Though many of the staff were opposed to working alongside a Black female surgeon, she was able to convince the chief surgeon to hire her.

By 1957, Dr. Brown had completed her residency and became the chief surgeon at Riverside Hospital in Nashville. She also served as professor of surgery for the Meharry Medical College.

Dr. Dorothy Brown was a woman of many firsts: she was the first known single woman in Tennessee to legally adopt a child, and also became the first African American ever to serve in the Tennessee General Assembly. As a member of the assembly she worked to legalize abortions in cases of rape or incest, and was involved in passing the Negro History Act which required public schools to observe a Negro History Week honoring the achievements of African Americans in history.

Other Amazing Accomplishments of Black Women in Medicine

• Martha Minerva Franklin (1870-1934): A registered nurse who played a pivotal role in advocating for Black nurses. She founded the National Association of Colored Graduate Nurses (NACGN) in 1908, which addressed racial discrimination within the nursing profession and provided opportunities for Black nurses.
• Patricia Bath (1942-2018): A pioneering ophthalmologist known for her work in blindness prevention and her invention of the Laserphaco Probe for cataract surgery. Dr. Bath was the first Black woman to complete an ophthalmology residency and the first Black female doctor to receive a medical patent.
• Dr. Shirley-Ann Jackson (born 1945): A physicist and the first Black woman to earn a doctorate from MIT in nuclear physics. While not directly in medicine, Dr. Jackson’s scientific contributions have had a significant impact on healthcare advancements. She later served as the president of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, becoming the first Black woman to lead a major research university.

Organizations Founded by Black Women in Medicine

Here are 3 organizations founded by Black women that have played a significant role in healthcare access and education for Black communities:

• Black Women’s Health Imperative (BWHI): Founded in 1983 by a group of Black women physicians, BWHI is the only national organization solely dedicated to improving the health and wellness of Black women and girls. They address healthcare disparities through research, advocacy, and education. Programs like “Change Your Lifestyle, Change Your Life” focus on diabetes prevention, while “My Sister’s Keeper” empowers women in leadership roles at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs).
• National Black Nurses Association (NBNA): Established in 1971 by Martha Minerva Franklin, a nursing pioneer, the NBNA works to improve the health and well-being of Black communities through leadership development, mentorship programs, and increasing access to healthcare for underserved populations. They advocate for policy changes that address racial and ethnic disparities in healthcare and promote cultural competency in nursing education.
• Sista Afya Collective: Founded in 1997 by Black women in Chicago, Sista Afya provides mental health and wellness resources specifically for Black women. They offer low-cost therapy services, workshops on mental health education, and online resources to combat the stigma surrounding mental health in Black communities. Sista Afya creates a safe space for Black women to address mental health concerns and build a network of support.

These pioneering Black women in medicine overcame immense obstacles to achieve their goals. Their stories serve as a powerful testament to their perseverance and dedication to serving their communities. They paved the way for generations of Black women to follow in their footsteps, and their legacy continues to inspire progress in healthcare equity today.