Black History Month recognizes the perseverance, celebrates the achievements, and acknowledges the spirit of African Americans and their immense contributions to the United States of America.
Black History Month grew out of Black (formerly “Negro”) History Week. In 1926, Negro History Week was established by historian and author Carter G. Woodson, who was also known as “the father of Black History,” and was annually observed during the second week of February to coincide with the birthdays of abolitionist Frederick Douglass and President Abraham Lincoln. Woodson’s goal was to create intentional space for African American history, sans tropes and misnomers, to shine.
In 1976, under President Gerald Ford, Black History Week grew into a month-long observance as he urged Americans to “seize the opportunity to honor the too-often neglected accomplishments of Black Americans in every area of endeavor throughout our history.”
As February greets us, we step into Black History Month.
This reflective yet celebratory time of year allows for both pensive thoughts and feelings of pride as we remember those who selflessly sacrificed personal freedoms in the fight for racial equality. While we celebrate the triumphs of the past, in a post-George Floyd era, the ideal of “liberty and justice for all” continues to elude Black Americans.
It is in continuing the fight, via community organizing, protesting, and stumping, where self-actualization is realized. As several individuals have harnessed their talents in the fight for racial equality, consider lending your talents to this cause and see how it changes you...and the world (for the better)!
At Chase Brexton, compassionate care does not just extend to patients but to staff as well. For resources that can aid in your continued education and wellbeing, visit the Community Care page and discover how you can Learn, Act, and Heal. We encourage you to check out the resources available and add to the list by emailing Rakeah Glass: at: rglass@chasebrexton.org
To learn more about the impact of lesser-known African Americans within the medical field, visit: Honoring Black Americans’ Contributions to Medicine | AAFP
Black History Month: A Commemorative Observances Legal Research Guide
To learn more about Carter G. Woodson’s efforts realized through the historical society he, along with several others, created during his lifetime and that endures today, visit Association for the Study of Negro Life and History which is now the Association for the Study of African American Life and History (ASALH).
List of previous and current Black History Month Themes
BLACK HISTORY THEMES – ASALH – The Founders of Black History Month
Black History Month Timeline (1773-2008)
Black History Month is celebrated in the United States and Canada in February and in the UK and Ireland in October.
“Make a career of humanity. Commit yourself to the noble struggle for equal rights. You will make a greater person of yourself, a greater nation of our country, and a finer world to live in.” - Martin Luther King, Jr.
Read about a few Black Americans whose profound contributions to the field of medicine continue to impact and inspire us.
James McCune Smith, M.D. was the first Black American to practice in the United States with a medical degree. Because of segregated admission practices, Smith had to enroll at the University of Glasgow in Scotland. He was also the first Black physician to establish and operate a pharmacy, and the first Black physician to publish articles in U.S. medical journals. Video: Rediscovering the Life and Legacy of James McCune Smith (youtube.com)
Patricia Bath, M.D., was the first Black person to complete a residency in ophthalmology and the first Black female physician to receive a medical invention patent after inventing the Laserphaco Probe. The Laserphaco Probe is a surgical tool that results in less painful and more precise treatment of cataracts. Bath would later become a founding member of the American Institute for the Prevention of Blindness. Video: Patricia Bath On Being The First Person To Invent & Demonstrate Laserphaco Cataract Surgery | TIME (youtube.com)
Daniel Hale Williams, M.D. opened the Provident Hospital and Training School for Nurses in Chicago, the first Black-owned and first interracial hospital in the United States. Two years later, Williams performed one of the world’s first successful heart surgeries, saving the life of a man who had been stabbed in the chest.
Charles Drew, M.D.,a surgeon, discovered that blood plasma can be dried and reconstituted when needed, making it an effective substitute for whole blood transfusions. He developed ways to process and preserve plasma in “blood banks,” a procedure that saved the lives of countless American soldiers during World War II and in later conflicts. Video: Meet Dr. Charles Drew, pioneer in blood banking (youtube.com)
Rebecca Lee Crumpler, M.D. was the first Black woman physician in the United States after earning her degree from the New England Female Medical College in Boston. She later published Book of Medical Discourses, a volume of medical advice for women and children. Video: The Unsung | Doctor Rebecca Lee Crumpler | Black History Month (youtube.com)
Vivien Thomas was an American laboratory supervisor who developed a procedure used to treat blue baby syndrome (now known as cyanotic heart disease) in the 1940s. Thomas was unique in that he did not have any post-secondary education or professional experience in a research laboratory; however, he served as supervisor of the surgical laboratories at Johns Hopkins for 35 years. In 1976, Hopkins awarded him an honorary doctorate and named him an instructor of surgery for the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine. Without any education past high school, Thomas rose above poverty and racism to become a cardiac surgery pioneer and a teacher of operative techniques to many of the country's most prominent surgeons. Video: Vivien Thomas, from janitor to pioneer in heart surgery (youtube.com)
Herbert Nickens, M.D. was the first director of the Office of Minority Health at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services where he led programs designed to promote health among racial and ethnic minority populations throughout the country. He later joined the Association of American Medical Colleges, where he became the organization’s first vice president for community and minority programs.
Howard University College of Medicine (HUCM) was the first program in the United States to open its doors to medical students of all races, genders and social classes. Clinical instruction was offered for free, and a full course of lectures for the 1868-1869 school year cost $135.
Mae Jemison, M.D. spent a decade in private practice and then taught as a research physician with the Peace Corps before becoming the first Black woman in space as a mission specialist on the space shuttle Endeavor. Video: Living Black History: a conversation with Dr. Mae Jemison (youtube.com)
For more information on the people featured above, visit: Honoring Black Americans’ Contributions to Medicine | AAFP
Visit The Institute for EDI's Anti-Racism Resources page here: Anti-Racism Resources | Chase Brexton Health Care
