During Black History Month, a Nod to Healthcare Trailblazers
From the shores of Africa, the resilience of African Americans has anchored and fortified a race of people like no other. The mere existence of those who survived the cramped and inhumane slave ships meant that only the strongest and most fit Africans lived to tell their stories. And it is through that spirit of defiance and strength that black culture found its voice throughout the Americas.
As a sixth-generation African American, whose American roots go back to the 1700s, I know how talented and resourceful black people have been in this country, often with little or no resources. Segregation and institutionalized racism affected healthcare and the quality of life for many blacks in both the North and South. Take, for example, hospital care in cities like Detroit, Michigan – my birthplace.
Burton Mercy Hospital, where I was born in 1953, was owned by blacks. Norman L. Foster, associate professor of neurology and senior research scientist at the Institute of Gerontology at the University of Michigan, states: “Project research revealed that Detroit was among the cities with the highest number of Black hospitals. In addition, most were Black proprietary hospitals, meaning they were owned and operated by African Americans. There was a tremendous investment that individuals made in trying to deliver the best health care to their own people who were being denied access to care by others.” (University of Michigan Report. www.umich.edu.) Burton Mercy Hospital operated in the City of Detroit from 1949 to 1974.
My mother’s obstetrician, who delivered me, was black. He delivered my older brother, as well. My pediatrician was a black female. And now some 60-plus years later in Boston under very different circumstances, my primary care physician of more than 30 years is black. I am the product of quality healthcare delivered by black professionals, and I've benefited from that care for my entire life.
James McCune Smith was the first African American to obtain a medical degree. American medical schools refused him entry. He graduated from the University of Glasgow in Scotland in 1837. David J. Peck was the first African American to graduate from an American medical school. He graduated from Rush Medical School in Chicago in 1847.
Most medical schools were closed to blacks until 1868 when Howard University Medical School was founded in Washington, D.C. Its purpose was to educate both black and white students, including women. Howard is one of the Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) in the United States and remains one of three HBCU medical schools in the country today. Meharry Medical College opened in 1876 in Nashville, Tennessee, and the third, Morehouse School of Medicine, an offshoot of Morehouse College, was founded in 1975 in Atlanta, Georgia. I know countless doctors who are family friends or known in my community who graduated from either Howard or Meharry. My great uncle graduated from Meharry in the 1920s and practiced medicine before illness ended his life at an early age.
Today despite the wide variety of college and medical school options available to African Americans, Xavier University in New Orleans and Howard University produce the lion’s share of black college graduates entering and completing medical school. The preparation is so complete at Xavier that it’s almost a given that students who enter the school are on a fast track to becoming a doctor.
It would take a portfolio of articles for me to highlight and pay tribute to the countless doctors, nurses, and medical professionals whose sacrifice and commitment to serve have championed healthcare in the United States. Despite racism, discrimination, and other barriers placed before them, black doctors represent the best in American healthcare. Their contributions throughout the years have saved lives, contributed to medical inventions, and given hope to a people whose future often seemed uncertain.
Black History IS American History, and we salute black doctors, nurses, and medical professionals both past and present for their commitment to the mission of serving all people.
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Carole Copeland Thomas
Carole is an empowering global diversity speaker and consultant, addressing key issues affecting our global marketplace. She is known for her high energy and inspiring programs, captivating any audience from start to finish. To hire Carole for one of your events or for additional information please contact Erin Manton.