The First of Their Field Reading Guide
Further Information on Some of the First Black-Women Healthcare Professionals and
Environmental Justice Pioneers
Pioneers in the Medical Field
Mary Francis Hill Coley
Legacies of Resilience, 2023, Jules Arthur, Property of Resilient Sisterhood Project
Mary Francis Hill Coley was born on August 15, 1900, in Baker County, Georgia. She was trained by Alabama midwife Onnie Lee Logan in the apprentice tradition. Over the course of 30 years, Mary delivered more than 3,000 babies in Alabama’s Dougherty, Lee, Mitchell, and Worth counties. She was known for her tireless work ethic and willingness to serve both Black and White mothers in the segregated South. Her work as a midwife extended beyond the care of pregnant women and delivery of children. Mary would frequently perform various household tasks after the birth of a baby to allow new mothers to rest and recuperate.
In 1952, documentarian George Stoney filmed All My Babies: A Midwife's Own Story, a documentary produced by the Georgia Health Department as an instructional training film. Stoney followed “Miss Mary” for four months recording the preparation of pregnant women for birth and the delivery of babies in rural conditions in the Albany, Georgia area with help from local public health doctors and nurses. The film is not only a portrait of Coley but also a historical record of the living conditions of her patients. All My Babies was deemed controversial by medical professionals due to fears it would promote the use of midwives. The demonization of midwifery that occurred during the early- to mid-twentieth century created a myth that the use of midwives was “second-class” healthcare. This propaganda was a racist and sexist attempt to keep Black women out of the medical profession and center the role of mainstream medicine. Coley died in 1966, renowned as a healer, advocate, and liaison between her community and the healthcare system. In 2007, George Stoney returned to Georgia to film a reunion of 150 babies delivered by Coley.
The Role of African Americans Midwives in the 1800 and 1900s
Midwifery has existed for centuries and predates Chattel Slavery in the US. Midwives were among the many enslaved individuals who survived the Middle Passage and continued to practice and train others for centuries. Black women served as the primary source of birth care throughout the country from the 1600s until the mid-1900s.
Granny midwives, as they were called, oversaw the births of every enslaved person on plantations. Sometimes, they even attended the masters’ wives as they gave birth. At one point, granny midwives participated in close to three-fourths of all the births in the South. With the beginning of the American Medical Association and the process of legitimation that led to conventional medicine as the predominant form of healthcare, granny midwives were pushed out of birth work. Through legislature and racist hiring policies, midwifery and birthwork ceased to be a predominantly Black practice. Lay and granny midwifery fell out of practice by the early to mid-twentieth century due to racist and sexist regulations placed on obstetrical care. The Sheppard-Towner Act in 1921 provided federal funding for maternity healthcare and childcare, which meant more regulation and supervision of midwives and other lay birthworkers. This ushered in the narrative that the high maternal mortality rate was due to the “uneducated” midwives who were the primary birthworkers up until the turn of the century.
After women won the right to vote in 1919, and White women began entering the workforce, many nurse-midwife training programs were established. These programs almost always excluded Black women from enrolling, creating a major racial disparity in nurse-midwives that persists today. In 2020, Black women made up only 6% of certified nurse-midwives in the US.
See more information and resources about midwifery below.
Dr. Rebecca J. Cole
Legacies of Resilience, 2023, Jules Arthur, Property of Resilient Sisterhood Project
Dr. Rebecca J. Cole was born in 1846 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. In 1867, Dr. Cole went to the Women’s Medical College of Pennsylvania, and, after completing her thesis, “The Eye and Its Appendages”in 1867,” she became the second Black woman to receive an M.D. degree in the US. Throughout her 43-year career working in internal medicine, Dr. Cole was a staunch advocate for low-income people, especially women and used her practice of medicine to help underserved populations in South Carolina, North Carolina, Washington D.C., and Philadelphia.
Dr. Cole had a well-publicized dispute with W.E.B. Du Bois, a sociologist and Pan-African civil rights activist, about the research for his 1899 book, The Philadelphia Negro. In his book, he wrote that Black people were dying of consumption in large numbers because of their ignorance of proper hygiene. Cole wrote a rebuttal stating that statistical errors and the testimonies of slum landlords had led Du Bois to a flawed conclusion and that the individuals in the “slums” were not entirely to blame for the high death rate. Instead, she blamed the high mortality rates on White doctors who did not properly care for their Black patients, especially those in poor families. Dr. Cole died in 1922 at the age of 76.
Mary Eliza Mahoney
Legacies of Resilience, 2023, Jules Arthur, Property of Resilient Sisterhood Project
Dr. Eliza Ann Grier
Legacies of Resilience, 2023, Jules Arthur, Property of Resilient Sisterhood Project
Dr. Eliza Ann Grier was born an enslaved person in 1864 on a plantation in North Carolina. Following the abolition of slavery through the 13th Amendment, her family moved from North Carolina to Atlanta, Georgia. Dr. Grier was the first Black woman licensed to practice medicine in Georgia. As an emancipated slave, Dr. Grier faced many economic setbacks in her path to practicing medicine. To pay for her undergraduate education at Fisk University, she alternated every year of her studies with a year of picking cotton and ultimately took seven years to graduate. She repeated this same process of working on and off to pay for school and took seven years to graduate from the Women’s Medical College of Pennsylvania. She opened up a medical practice in Albany, Georgia, near her brother, who was also a physician. When she fell ill in 1901, Dr. Grier was unable to keep up her medical practice after working for only five years as an OB/GYN. She died one year later at the age of 38 of an unknown illness. She is buried in Charlotte, North Carolina.
Dr. Rebecca Lee Crumpler
Legacies of Resilience, 2023, Jules Arthur, Property of Resilient Sisterhood Project
Dr. Rebecca Lee Crumpler was born in 1831 and was the first Black woman to earn an M.D. degree. Although born and raised in Delaware, Crumpler spent the majority of her time as a physician in Boston, Massachusetts. In 1860, she was admitted to the New England Female Medical College. When she graduated in 1864, Crumpler was the only Black woman to graduate from the college, which merged with Boston University School of Medicine in 1873. There is not much known about her life outside of what she wrote in the introduction to her book, entitled Book of Medical Discourses. Dr. Crumpler's book is one of the very first medical publications written by a Black person in the US, and it offers medical advice for both women and children. Despite the intense racism Black physicians experienced working in the postwar South, she joined other Black physicians in caring for freed slaves in Richmond, Virginia,—who would otherwise have had no access to medical care. She did this by working with the Freedmen's Bureau as well as missionary and community groups. Dr. Crumpler died in 1895 due to uterine fibroids. Dr. Crumpler and her husband went 125 years buried in unmarked graves in Fairview Cemetery until a few historical groups based in Hyde Park raised enough money to give the couple headstones.
Dr. May Edward Chinn
Source: Changing the Face of Medicine
Dr. May Edward Chinn was born on April 15, 1896 in Great Barrington, Massachusetts, to a formerly enslaved father and a Native American mother. She became the first Black woman to graduate from Bellevue Hospital Medical College (now NYU School of Medicine). Denied internships due to her race and gender, Chinn established a private practice in Harlem, treating underserved communities and making house calls to patients who were often denied care elsewhere. Chinn worked with the Strang Clinic for Cancer Research for nearly 30 years, where she was an early adopter of Pap smears for cervical cancer detection. Her advocacy for preventative medicine and cancer screenings was groundbreaking, especially for marginalized populations. Eventually, she became the first Black woman admitted to practice at Harlem Hospital and the New York Medical Society. In 1980, Columbia University presented her with an honorary doctorate of science. She passed away that same year on December 1st at the age of 84.
Dr. Matilda Evans
Source: Changing the Face of Medicine
Matilda Arabella Evans was born on May 13, 1872 in Aiken, South Carolina. She pursued her education at Oberlin College in Ohio before earning her medical degree from the Woman's Medical College of Pennsylvania in 1897. Upon returning to South Carolina, Dr. Evans became the first Black woman licensed to practice medicine in the state. She established a successful practice in the city of Columbia, South Carolina, serving both Black and White patients during the era of segregation. In 1901, Dr. Evans founded the Taylor Lane Hospital and Training School for Nurses, providing medical care and professional training opportunities for the Black community. She later opened St. Luke's Hospital and continued her commitment to public health by organizing free clinics, initiating vaccination programs, and advocating for improved sanitation and healthcare access. Dr. Evans was also involved in education, serving as president of the Negro Health Association of South Carolina and contributing to various civic organizations. She passed away on November 17, 1935.
Estelle Massey Osborne
Source: Premier Medical Staffing Services
Estelle Massey Osborne was born on May 3, 1901, in Palestine, Texas. She earned her nursing diploma from St. Louis City Hospital School of Nursing in 1923 and later became the first Black person to receive a master's degree in nursing from Columbia University Teachers College in 1931. Osborne dedicated her career to advancing the status of Black nurses and improving healthcare for underserved communities. As president of the National Association of Colored Graduate Nurses (NACGN) from 1934 to 1939, she worked to integrate Black nurses into the American Red Cross and the US military during World War II. Her efforts led to the eventual merging of NACGN with the American Nurses Association, promoting inclusivity within the profession. Osborne held various academic and administrative positions, including serving as an associate professor at New York University and as a consultant to the National Nursing Council for War Service. She passed away on December 12, 1981.
Dr. Patricia Bath
Source: Changing the Face of Medicine
Dr. Patricia Era Bath was born on November 4, 1942, in Harlem, New York. She earned her medical degree from Howard University College of Medicine in 1968 and became the first Black person to complete an ophthalmology residency at New York University in 1973. Dr. Bath was a trailblazer in the field of ophthalmology, co-founding the American Institute for the Prevention of Blindness in 1976, advocating for eyesight as a basic human right. In 1986, she invented the Laserphaco Probe, a device that revolutionized cataract surgery by using laser technology to remove cataracts more safely and accurately. This invention made her the first Black woman doctor to receive a medical patent. Throughout her career, Dr. Bath was dedicated to combating preventable blindness, particularly in underserved communities, and was a strong advocate for telemedicine. She passed away on May 30, 2019.
Dr. Harriet Rice
Source: Public Domain
Born in 1866 in Newport, Rhode Island, Dr. Harriet Rice graduated from Wellesley College in 1887 as one of only three Black students and its first Black alumna. She later earned her M.D. in 1891 from the Women’s Medical College of the New York Infirmary for Women and Children. After her graduation, Dr. Rice became an intern at the New England Hospital for Women and Children in Boston. She moved on to an internship at the Women’s Hospital in Philadelphia then became the first Black resident at Chicago’s Hull-House, a social settlement or social welfare agency designed to provide holistic services to surrounding residents. Dr. Rice worked mostly in the medical dispensary and clinic providing medical care to impoverished families. Her work extended to child and maternal health as the sole physician at the Chicago Maternity Hospital and Training School for Nursery Maids. During World War I, she joined the French Medical Corps, earning the Medal of French Gratitude for her service. Dr. Rice passed away in Worcester, Massachusetts, in 1958.
Dr. Jane Cooke Wright
Source: The ASCO Foundation
Jane Cooke Wright was born in New York City in 1919 to Corinne Cooke, a teacher, and Louis Wright, who was among the first Black graduates of Harvard Medical School. He later founded the Cancer Research Center at Harlem Hospital. Dr.Jane Cooke Wright attended medical school at New York Medical College and was a resident at various New York hospitals. In 1945, she graduated with honors and interned at Bellevue Hospital until 1946, then she was the chief resident at Harlem Hospital from 1947 to 1948. The next year, after spending six months as a staff physician at a New York public school, Dr. Cooke Wright went to work with her father at the Cancer Research Center to test new chemicals on human cancers, including leukemias. Her most groundbreaking work focused on the chemical treatment of cancer, which was still in its early days. In 1951, Dr. Cooke Wright’s efforts paid off with the success of methotrexate in killing breast cancer cells, forging the way for today's chemotherapy treatments. She was also appointed the head of the Cancer Research Foundation in 1952, after her father died.
Being the only woman cofounder of the American Society of Clinical Oncology, Dr. Cooke helped make research more easily accessible and set standards for clinical oncology. She was appointed by President Lyndon B. Johnson to the President’s Commission on Heart Disease, Cancer, and Stroke in 1964. She went back to New York Medical College in 1967 to serve as the associate dean, a professor of surgery, and the head of the Cancer Chemotherapy Department. Here, Dr. Cooke Wright became the highest ranked Black woman at a nationally-recognized medical institution. She was also a prolific author of 135 scientific papers. In 1971, Dr. Cooke Wright was also the first woman to be president of the New York Cancer Society. She retired in 1987 and passed away in her sleep in 2013 at 93 years old.
Environmental Science and Justice Pioneers
Beverly Wright
Source: The New School
Born in New Orleans, Louisiana, Dr. Beverly Wright is an environmental justice scholar, activist, and the founder and executive director of the Deep South Center for Environmental Justice (DSCEJ) in New Orleans, the first ever environmental justice center in the US. Dr. Wright received her BA from Grambling College and her MA and PhD in Sociology from the State University of New York at Buffalo, from where she also received the Distinguished Alumni Award in 2003. A leading advocate for environmental justice, she has dedicated her career to addressing the disproportionate impact of pollution and climate change on Black and low-income communities, particularly those living in Louisiana’s "Cancer Alley," a region heavily affected by industrial pollution. Through the DSCEJ, Dr. Wright has led initiatives and programs centered around community education and policy advocacy.
Wright has also played a key role in disaster recovery efforts following Hurricane Katrina and other climate-related disasters. Wright has worked extensively with the Environmental Protection Agency, co-authoring reports on environmental justice and helping write national policies that address racial and socioeconomic disparities in environmental health. She was a key figure in the Justice40 Initiative, which directs federal resources toward communities disproportionately affected by pollution and climate change. Additionally, she has collaborated with other environmental leaders, such as Dr. Robert Bullard, to advance the climate justice movement. Wright has published books and research on environmental racism and health disparities to raise awareness about how pollution and industrial development negatively impacts marginalized populations. Her advocacy has influenced federal policies and helped push corporations and policymakers to adopt more sustainable and equitable environmental practices.
Wangarĩ Maathai
Source: blacklistedculture.com
Dr. Wangarĩ Maathai was born on April 1, 1940 in Nyeri, Kenya. Dr. Maathai was a Kenyan environmentalist, political activist, and the founder of the Green Belt Movement, an organization dedicated to environmental conservation, women's empowerment, and sustainable development. She was the first African woman to receive the Nobel Peace Prize (2004) for her contributions to sustainable development, democracy, and peace. Maathai founded the Green Belt Movement in 1977 as a grassroots initiative to combat deforestation, soil erosion, and water scarcity by mobilizing Kenyan women to plant trees in their communities. Under her leadership, the movement grew into a powerful environmental and social justice force, leading to the planting of over 50 million trees across Africa. Beyond reforestation, Maathai was an advocate for environmental justice and democracy. She fought against land grabbing and deforestation by the Kenyan government, often facing violent opposition and arrest for her activism. Maathai later served as Kenya’s Assistant Minister for Environment and Natural Resources (2003–2005) and was a United Nations Messenger of Peace advocating for climate action. Maathai passed away in 2011.
Margie Eugene-Richard
Source: Alliance for Citizen Engagement
Margie Eugene-Richard was born on December 21, 1941 in Norco, Louisiana. Eugene-Richard is an environmental justice activist known for her fight against industrial pollution in Norco, a small, predominantly Black community situated along "Cancer Alley" in Louisiana, a region heavily impacted by industrial pollution, including that of Shell Chemical. In the late 1990s, Richard led the Concerned Citizens of Norco (CCN), a grassroots organization that pressured Shell to take responsibility for the environmental harm it caused. She helped expose the disproportionate impact of pollution on Black communities, advocating for corporate accountability and environmental justice. Her efforts led to a historic victory in 2002, when Shell agreed to buy out residents living in the most polluted areas, allowing families to relocate to safer environments. This marked one of the first major victories of the environmental justice movement, proving that grassroots activism could successfully challenge powerful corporations. Richard became the first African American to receive the Goldman Environmental Prize (2004), one of the world’s most prestigious awards for environmental activism. She has since continued to advocate for environmental justice policies, corporate responsibility, and stronger protections for communities affected by industrial pollution.