via Pixabay
When it comes to medicine, we have a rich history of “firsts” and contributions, starting in 1721 with Onesimus. He was an enslaved African who described a method of inoculation against smallpox, which later informed the British doctor Edward Jenner's method of inoculation in the 1790s.
In 1893 Dr. Daniel Hale Williams performed the first successful operation on a human heart.
But the history of Black doctors is very connected to the history of racism and Jim Crow. Many facilities, including doctor’s offices, were segregated by race. This was a terrible time for Black people who needed medical treatment.
Even worse, there were very few trained Black medical professionals. Black doctors endured a lot of abuse and discrimination, couldn’t get specialized training, and had their credentials constantly disrespected.
The Civil Rights Movement did help break barriers, but the percentage of Black doctors hasn't grown much since those days of blatantly racist discrimination. Today’s evidence shows that we do better when we have Black doctors.
We have to know the connections between our health, Black doctors, and past and present segregation so we can fight for Black doctors and better health.