Black History in Healthcare and its Ongoing Legacy

February is National Black History Month! This month, we will celebrate some of the pioneers and achievements in the field of healthcare that have been made by African Americans over the centuries. Black history is incredibly important to healthcare because it serves to recognize the many ways in which African Americans have contributed to the development of healthcare and medicine. Celebrating this history can provide … Continue reading Black History in Healthcare and its Ongoing Legacy

Tubman, Truth, and Taylor Walked, so That Hazel W. Johnson-Brown Could Run

In the mid-1800’s, when the Civil War emerged, Black-only infantries voluntarily fought for their freedom. Three well-known Black women in history took part in helping those men in their recovery and in their missions, with no proper compensation or recognition: Harriet Tubman and Sojourner Truth, abolitionists and political activists, and Suzie King Taylor, the first African-American army nurse. It wasn’t until the 1950’s, when President … Continue reading Tubman, Truth, and Taylor Walked, so That Hazel W. Johnson-Brown Could Run

Making Changes Towards Equality in Health Care: Brief History of the National Black Nurses Association

The National Black Nurses Association was founded by 18 nurses due to the lack of representation and leadership roles for Black nurses in the American Nursing Association during the 1960’s and 1970’s.  December of 1971, in the home of Dr. Mary Harper, the nurses unanimously voted to approve the establishment of the National Black Nurses Association.  By September 6th, 1972 – almost a year later—the … Continue reading Making Changes Towards Equality in Health Care: Brief History of the National Black Nurses Association