This Black History Month, we’re reminded that true progress toward health equity requires us to reflect on our past and commit to telling the whole story.
From the reproductive justice framework to the birth equity movement, we owe very much to the Black physicians, advocates, and researchers of yesterday and today.
Join us in honoring their contributions by reading about a selection of pivotal figures below.
Dr. Dorothy Ferebee
Dr. Dorothy Ferebee was an obstetrician, civil rights activist, and advocate for contraception and sex education. As director of the Mississippi Health Project, she oversaw the delivery of healthcare services to low-income farmers. (1)
Throughout her career, she made major contributions across civil rights and public health projects, including opening a clinic for Black residents of Boston, founding a daycare program for children of working mothers, and serving as a medical director at Howard University.
She was eventually elected president of the National Council of Negro Women. (2)
Dr. Joia Crear-Perry
Dr. Joia Crear-Perry is the founder and president of the National Birth Equity Collaborative, an organization working to address maternal health inequities for Black women. Dr. Crear-Perry, an OB-GYN, has been nationally recognized as a thought leader, studying racism’s impact on health inequities. (3)
She is an esteemed recipient of the Congressional Black Caucus Healthcare Hero’s award and the Maternal Health Task Force at Harvard University Global Visionary Award for Commitment to Advancing Women’s Health. (4)
Recently, Dr. Crear-Perry’s advocacy and influence extended all the way up to the United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, where she delivered an address on a human rights framework to improve maternal mortality.
Mary Eliza Mahoney
Mary Eliza Mahoney was the first African American in the United States to work as a professionally trained nurse. During her early career, she worked as a private-duty nurse to wealthy white mothers and newborns. (5)
In 1908, she co-founded the National Association of Colored Graduate Nurses after Black nurses faced discrimination from their predominantly white counterparts. Her prestigious reputation and skills later helped to raise the status and perception of minority nurses, who often struggled to find employment. (6)
In 1976, she was inducted into the American Nurses Association Hall of Fame, and several awards and health centers have been named in her honor. (7)
Faye Wattleton
Faye Wattleton is a nurse, advocate, and author, and the first African American to be elected president of Planned Parenthood. (8)
During her time overseeing a maternal and child health program at the Dayton Ohio Health Department, Wattleton grew concerned with the unmet maternal care needs of many patients. In response, she opened a neighborhood health clinic for pregnant women. (9)
Later, she joined her local Planned Parenthood’s Board of Directors, and quickly rose through the ranks, eventually becoming president of the national organization. (10)
For her achievements, she received several awards, including the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation Humanitarian Award, the Women’s Honors in Public Service from the American Nurses Association, and a spot in the National Women’s Hall of Fame. (11) (12)