Breaking Barriers: A Century of Black Innovation in Medicine

This month, Nomi Health is proud to celebrate Black visionaries in the medical field. Here we spotlight innovators from each decade over the last century and a quarter who paved the way for a more equitable healthcare system. Their perseverance in the face of tremendous obstacles has not only advanced medical science but created a foundation for the diverse, inclusive healthcare system we continue to build today.

1900:

Editor’s note: I couldn’t pick, so our first decade honors two remarkable Black physicians who changed the landscape of medicine and race in the U.S.

Dr. James McCune Smith

First black physician

Born into slavery in New York City in 1813, McCune was denied admission to American medical schools; instead, he earned three degrees from the University of Glasgow. He returned to New York in 1837 and became first African American doctor in the U.S. Dr. Smith was a linguist fluent in six languages, and an abolitionist who treated both Black and White patients. He passed away in 1865, just weeks before the 13th Amendment was ratified.

Dr. Daniel Hale Williams

Trailblazing heart surgeon

Dr. Daniel Hale Williams was one of only four Black physicians in Chicago after earning his M.D. in 1883. In 1893, he made history by performing the first successful open-heart surgery, saving patient James Cornish who recovered and was discharged after 51 days. Dr. Williams also he founded the first hospital with an interracial staff and programs that admitted Black students.

1910:

Dr. Solomon Carter Fuller

Alzheimer's and dementia research frontrunner

After earning his medical degree in 1897 from Boston University, Dr. Solomon Fuller became the first African American psychiatrist in the U.S. In 1904, he began studying the traits of dementia with Alois Alzheimer, renowned German psychiatrist and neuropathologist. Dr. Fuller translated much of Alzheimer’s work into English, including research regarding the first reported case of the disease. In 1912, Dr. Fuller published the first comprehensive review of Alzheimer’s cases.

1920:

Dr. Louis Wright and Dr. Jane Cooke Wright  

Father and daughter cancer treatment pioneers  

Dr. Louis Wright graduated from Harvard medical school in 1915. He began his career in Atlanta, earned a purple heart during the First World War, and then opened a private practice in Harlem with ties to Harlem Hospital. He became the first Black physician on surgical staff at the hospital, eventually founding their cancer center. He was also the first Black police surgeon for the NYPD.  

Dr. Jane Cooke Wright worked alongside her father at the Harlem Hospital Cancer Research Center, becoming chief surgeon in 1952 at age 33. The New York Cancer Society elected Wright as its first woman president in 1971.

1930:

Dr. Charles R. Drew

Father of modern blood banks

Known as the father of blood banking, Dr. Charles Drew pioneered blood preservation techniques that led to thousands of lifesaving blood donations. He established the first large-scale blood banks, including the Blood for Britain project, which shipped much-needed plasma overseas during World War II. Drew led the first American Red Cross Blood Bank; however, he ultimately resigned from the organization in protest to their policy of segregating blood by race.

1940:

Dr. Leonidas Harris Berry

Gastroenterologist and activist

Dr. Leonidas Harris Berry, talented and respected gastroenterologist, was the first Black doctor on staff at the Michael Reese Hospital in Chicago in 1946. In the 1950s, Berry chaired a Chicago commission that worked to make hospitals more inclusive for Black physicians and to increase facilities in underserved parts of the city. In 1970, he helped organize the Flying Black Medics, a group of practitioners who flew from Chicago to Cairo, IL to bring medical care and health education to members of the remote community.  

1950:

Henrietta Lacks

Medical research miracle

Henrietta Lacks, though not a medical professional herself, made one of the most significant contributions to medical research in the 20th century. In 1951, without her knowledge or consent, cells taken from her cervical cancer biopsy became the first human cells to be successfully grown in a lab. These cells, known as HeLa cells, have been vital in medical breakthroughs, including the polio vaccine, cancer treatments, and gene mapping.  

1960:

Dr. Marilyn Hughes Gaston

Leading researcher, sickle cell disease

As the result of a pivotal experience treating an infant in 1964, Dr. Marilyn Hughs Gaston became a leading researcher on sickle cell disease, which affects millions of people around the world. Her groundbreaking 1986 study led to a national sickle cell disease screening program for newborns. In 1990, Gaston became the first Black female physician to be appointed director of the Bureau of Primary Healthcare for the Health Resources and Services Administration.  

1970:

Dr. Joycelyn Elders

First black surgeon general

Dr. Joycelyn Elders grew up in a rural, segregated, poverty-stricken region of Arkansas, working in cotton fields from age 5. Inspired by a speech by Dr. Edith Irby Jones, physician and civil rights activist, Elders decided to pursue medicine. After earning her medical degree, Dr. Elders went on to become the first board-certified pediatric endocrinologist in the state of Arkansas in 1978. In 1993 President Bill Clinton appointed Elders as Surgeon General, the first Black American and second woman to hold that post.

1980:

Dr. Patricia Bath

Visionary ophthalmologist

As an intern, Dr. Patricia Bath observed higher blindness rates among Black patients at the Harlem Hospital compared to White patients at Columbia University's eye clinic, and she dedicated herself to overcoming vision care disparities. She blazed trails her entire career.  Dr. Bath was the first Black person to complete an ophthalmology residency in the United States. In 1983 she was the first female appointed chair of ophthalmology at a U.S. medical school (UCLA). In 1988 she was first Black female physician to receive a medical patent.  

1990:

Dr. Alexa Canady

First black neurosurgeon  

In 1981, Dr. Alexa Irene Canady became the first black neurosurgeon in the United States, and just a few years later she was named chief of neurosurgery at Children’s Hospital of Michigan, where she served from 1987 until her retirement in 2001. Dr. Canady was known for her patient-centered approach to care, and she worked part-time during her retirement in Florida because her community so desperately needed pediatric neurosurgery care.  

2000:

Dr. Louis Wade Sullivan

Founder, Morehouse School of Medicine

Dr. Louis Wade Sullivan grew up in the racially segregated, rural South in the 1930s. He was only black student in his class at Boston University School of Medicine and advocated for Black medical students and practitioners throughout his entire career. In 1975, he became the founding dean of the first predominantly Black medical school, Morehouse School of Medicine. He is currently CEO and chair of the Sullivan Alliance, an organization he created in 2005 to increase racial and ethnic minority representation in health care.  

2010:

Dr. Regina Marcia Benjamin

Surgeon general and health equity advocate

Dr. Regina Marcia Benjamin has dedicated her career to overcoming health disparities in the United States. As the 18th U.S. Surgeon General, she served as first chair of the National Prevention Council. In 2009, Benjamin worked extensively with rural communities in the South. She is the founder and CEO of BayouClinic in Louisiana, which provides clinical care, social services, and health education to residents of the small Gulf Coast town.  

2020:

Dr. Kizzmekia Corbett-Helaire

Coronavirus expert

Dr. Kizzmekia Corbett-Helaire was a senior research fellow and scientific lead at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases when the coronavirus hit the world in 2020. Once the U.S. learned the genetic sequence of the virus, Dr. Corbett’s expertise enabled her to prepare a modified sequence for a vaccine in mere hours, contributing to the fastest ever development of a new vaccine, and one that was highly effective and easy to manufacture. In the U.S., COVID-19 vaccines prevented more than 18.5 million hospitalizations and 3.2 million deaths, saving the country $1.15 trillion.

While we spotlight their stories this month, their legacy fuels our mission year-round

These trailblazers and many others have set the standard for world-changing medical innovation and cutting-edge discovery, for health education and advancement, and also for compassionate, equitable, accessible care. May we follow in their footsteps and create a future that lives up to their legacy.