Black history is American history. It is interwoven in the fabric of this country. Until such time American history is inclusive to all, we will take the opportunity to share the contributions of Black Americans during Black History month. This year for the month of February MCC’s Damato Library is featuring an informational display on Black American contributions to the field of medicine. The display highlights little known individuals like Solomon Carter Fuller who conducted dementia research with Alois Alzheimer and then translated Alzheimer’s research and published the first comprehensive review of Alzheimer’s cases. Or learn about Patricia Bath, a founding member of the American Institute for the Prevention of Blindness who invented a surgical tool that resulted in less painful and more precise treatment of cataracts. A special collection of books that may be borrowed are included in the display as well.
Overcoming the Odds by Based on his own life story, Overcoming the Odds, details the miraculous account of a boy who became more than anyone ever thought possible. From joining the military as a teen to serving eight years in the US Air Force; from the war on the streets of Louisiana to the war on terrorism in Iraq, the book realistically portrays the heartache and desperate challenges it took to rise above his austere beginnings.
Slavery and Medicine by Enslavement and medicine historiography has not addressed the African's proactive participation in, and development of, medicine in the United States. The scholarly literature largely focuses on "Negro/Slave Medicine" and the efforts of slaveowners to acquire adequate care for the enslaved African. Enslavement and medicine scholars have contended that Africans were incapable of fostering a medical universe that was reflective of their indigenous African culture and different from the European medical legacy left to Whites. This research Afrocentrically addresses the African's proactive management of medical care; and the neglect of scholars to include brutality and punishment, and its arbitrary nature, in the enslaved African's constant need for medical attention. In addition, slave labor (particularly that involving agriculture) was found to be an important medical health risk factor, including two overlooked labor tasks of enslaved African women—breeding and concubinage. Enslaved Africans in the southeastern parishes of antebellum Louisiana retained a significant Africanism in their medical universe which was the sustained pursuit of holistic healing. Enslaved Africans operated as agents of their own medical care, and not always as dependent recipients of care from slaveowners as the literature suggests. Africans participated as diviners and dispensers of medical care (in the Babalawo and Onishegun sense, representative of the West African Yoruba tradition). However, antebellum observers and contemporary scholars have characterized the African materia medica in the institution of enslavement in the United States as "superstitious" legacies from the continent of Africa. Due to many external factors, and because of their enslavement status, Africans had a higher medical health risk (mortality and morbidity) than other members of antebellum society. Through the necessity to respond immediately to medical care issues, enslaved Africans in the diaspora demonstrated the persistence of the traditional African worldview regarding holistic well-being.
The Racial Divide in American Medicine by This book documents the struggle for equity in health and health care by African American citizens and physicians in Mississippi and the United States. Dr. Richard D. deShazo and the contributors to the volume trace the dark journey from a system of slave hospitals in the state, through Reconstruction, Jim Crow, and the civil rights era, to the present day. They substantiate that current health disparities in the state are directly linked to America's history of separation, neglect, struggle, and disparities. Contributors reveal details of individual physicians' journeys for recognition both as African Americans and as professionals in Mississippi. Despite discrimination by their white colleagues and threats of violence, a small but fearless group of African American physicians fought for desegregation of American medicine and society. For example, T.R.M. Howard, MD, in the all-black city of Mound Bayou led a private investigation of the Emmett Till murder that helped trigger the civil rights movement. Later, other black physicians risked their lives and practices to furnish care for white civil rights workers during the civil rights movement. Richard deShazo has assembled an accurate account of the lives and experiences of black physicians in Mississippi, one that gives full credit to the actions of these pioneers. The introduction and essays address ongoing isolation and distrust among black and white colleagues in Mississippi. This book will stimulate dialogue, apology, and reconciliation, with the ultimate goal of improving disparities in health and health care and addressing long-standing injustices in our country.
African American and Cherokee Nurses in Appalachia by Few career opportunities were available to minority women in Appalachia in the first half of the 20th century. Nursing offered them a respected, relatively well paid profession and--as few physicians or hospitals would treat people of color--their work was important in challenging health care inequities in the region. Working in both modern surgical suites and tumble-down cabins, these women created unprecedented networks of care, managed nursing schools and built professional nursing organizations while navigating discrimination in the workplace.
African American Medicine in Washington, D. C. by The service of America's African Americans in defense of our Union during the Civil War required African American nurses, doctors and surgeons to heal those soldiers. In the nation's capital, these brave healthcare workers joined together to begin to create a medical infrastructure for African Americans by African Americans. Famed surgeon Alexander T. Augusta fought discrimination to become a preeminent surgeon, visiting with President Lincoln, testifying before congress and aiding in the war effort. Washington's Freedman's Hospital was formed to serve the District's growing free black population and would later become the Howard University Medical Center. These physicians would form the National Medical Association, the largest and oldest organization representing African American doctors and patients. Including detailed analysis of African American health issues, patients and medical approaches, author Heather M. Butts recounts the heroic lives and work of Washington's African American medical community during the Civil War.
Pulse of Perseverance by Pulse of Perseverance is the honest, deeply personal tale of three young black men's refusal to succumb to failure and how, together, they overcame daunting odds to take their place among the just five percent of U.S. doctors who are black. Through writing as passionate as it is relatable, the authors provide an unflinching look at the barriers black Americans face as they try to move out of the place society has designated for them. This book is a searing indictment of our still separate and unequal education system, one that ensures the road to becoming a doctor, or a lawyer or professor, will be much harder for black children than it will be for white.
Black Men in White Coats by What does it take to overcome adversity and achieve success against the odds? Best-selling author and award-winning physician, Dale Okorodudu MD, answers this question in his book, Black Men In White Coats: 100 Rules for Success. Dr. Dale shares experiences and lessons learned from the first 20 guests on his podcast, Black Men In White Coats. From battling depression to surviving gang infested neighborhoods, these doctors have seen it all. In this book, Dr. Dale outlines 100 concrete rules for success based on stories from these doctor's lives. This book will inspire you to pursue greatness beyond your imagination! It will empower you to fight for your dreams and to never give up!
Brain Surgeon by BRAIN SURGEON offers a window into one man's remarkable mind, revealing the anatomy of the unflinching confidence of this master surgeon, whose personal journey brought him from life as a young African-American boy growing up in the civil rights era South to the elite world of neurosurgery. Through Dr. Black's white-knuckle descriptions of some of the most astonishing medical procedures performed today, he reveals the beauty and marvel of the human brain and the strength and heroism of his patients who refuse to see themselves as victims. Ultimately, BRAIN SURGEON is an inspiring story of the struggle to overcome odds-whether as a man, a doctor, or a patient.
Meharry Medical College by Originally founded in 1876 as a department of Central Tennessee College, Meharry Medical College was granted a separate charter of incorporation in 1915. The college was named to honor five Irish brothers, Samuel, Hugh, Alexander, Jesse, and David Meharry. They gave more than $30,000 in cash and real estate to fund an institution that would educate medical professionals to serve the Black community. By the mid-20th century, Meharry Medical College graduated approximately half the Black doctors in the United States. The evolution of Meharry Medical College is a compelling story that occurs during succeeding eras. In many ways, its evolution reflects the changing tides of race relations in America. Nearly 150 years later, Meharry continues to be a significant medical institution that holds true to its motto: 'Dedicated to the worship of God through service to man.