Black American health and wellness pioneers have helped change the course of healthcare access and medical advances in the United States. Their influential black voices contribute to the quality of care received in doctor’s offices, schools, hospitals, and clinics. In the context of the ongoing COVID-19 global pandemic, Black Health and Wellness is an amplified topic and theme of 2022’s Black History Month.

Black History Month dates back to 1915 when Carter Woodson created the Association for the Study of Negro Life and History, an organization focused on studying and appreciating African History. In 1926, Woodson initiated the first “Negro History Week.” As Woodson said, “Those who have no record of what their forebears have accomplished lose the inspiration which comes from the teaching of biography and history.”

In 1976, President Gerald Ford officially recognized Black History Month, calling upon the American public to “seize the opportunity to honor the too-often neglected accomplishments of Black Americans in every area of endeavor throughout our history.”

The significant accomplishments and contributions made by Black doctors and nurses have left a legacy for Black Americans. They have paved the way for the next generation of Black medical professionals, brought awareness to critical quality-of-life concerns, and innovated life-saving surgical procedures.

Alexander Thomas Augusta (1825-1890) was the first Black American professor of medicine in the United States. He was the highest-ranking Black American officer in the Union Army and the head of the Freedmen’s Hospital.

Rebecca Lee Crumpler (1831-1895) was the first Black American woman to become a doctor of medicine in the U.S. and an author.

Mary Eliza Mahoney (1845-1926) was the first Black American woman to earn a professional nursing license in the U.S. She was the director of the Howard Orphanage Asylum.

Somoon Carter Fuller (1872-1953) was the first Black American psychiatrist and is now recognized to have the first comprehensive review of Alzheimer’s disease.

Francis Sumner, Ph.D. (1895-1954) was the first Black American to receive a Ph.D. in
psychology, with cited contributions to the study of religion.

Myra Adele Logan (1908-1997) was the first Black American female surgeon to perform open-heart surgery successfully.

The dates on which these pioneering Black Americans lived, studied, and practiced are noteworthy and significant. History tells us that our nation’s segregation and discrimination laws made it challenging and nearly impossible for them to achieve their accomplishments. The obstacles that Augusta, Crumpler, Mahoney, Fuller, Sumner, and Logan had to endure to serve as doctors and nurses make their stories inspirational.

Beyond the scholars, Black American health and wellness caregivers serving as midwives, doulas, naturalists, etc., have advanced society’s access to maintaining healthy lifestyles and longevity. But it wasn’t without sacrifice. Without their strength and persistence, America’s present-day health and wellness landscape would look very different for all Americans.