A Celebration of Three Extraordinary Black Women in Healthcare
Aside from celebrating Rare Disease Day, February also marks Black History Month, a time dedicated to honoring the inspiring accomplishments and sacrifices of African Americans throughout US history. We take this opportunity to highlight three influential Black Women, who have made remarkable contributions to the health sciences.
Jane Cooke Wright (1919–2013)
Jane Cooke Wright was a pioneering cancer researcher and surgeon, known as the “Mother” of chemotherapy. Born in Manhattan in 1919, Dr. Wright followed the footsteps of her father, Louis Wright, one of the first African Americans to graduate from Harvard Medical school. Dr. Louis Wright was the first African American doctor working as a surgical staff member at a non-segregated hospital in New York City. He went on to becoming the first American American police surgeon in 1929 and to establishing the Cancer Research Center at Harlem Hospital in 1948.
After graduating with honors from New York Medical College in 1945, Dr. Jane Cooke Wright worked alongside her father at the Harlem Cancer Research Center. During this time, they researched chemotherapy drugs, achieving remissive results in patients with leukemia and lymphoma. When her father passed away in 1952, Dr. Jane Cooke Wright took over this research center, developing an innovative technique of using human tissue, instead of laboratory mice, to test the effects of potential drugs on cancer cells. In 1955, Dr. Wright became an associate professor of surgical research at New York University (NYU) and director of cancer chemotherapy at NYU Medical Center. In 1971, The New York Cancer Society elected Dr. Wright as its first woman president. Thanks to Dr. Wright’s research, chemotherapy turned into a viable treatment for cancer.
2. Joycelyn Elders (b. 1933)
Joycelyn Elders is an American pediatrician and public health official who made history in 1993 as first African American and second woman to serve as the Surgeon General of the United States. Born in 1933 in a rural and poverty-stricken area in Arkansas, Dr. Elders grew up working in cotton fields from age 5, while attending a segregated school thirteen miles from home. Despite having to miss months of school during the harvest period, Dr. Elders excelled in her classes and earned a scholarship to join the all-Black liberal arts Philander Smith College in Little Rock. After hearing a speech by Edith Irby Jones, the first African American to be accepted as a non-segregated student at the University of Arkansas Medical School, Dr. Elders was inspired to become a doctor.
In 1956, Dr. Elders enrolled at the University of Arkansas Medical School. In 1978, she became the first person in the state of Arkansas to be board-certified in pediatric endocrinology, and, In 1987, she was appointed director of the Arkansas Department of Health. As a Surgeon General, Elders advocated for comprehensive sex education and the use of condoms to prevent sexually transmitted infections, which was controversial at the time. She also called for the decriminalization of drug use and the study of the potential benefits of medical marijuana. Elders’ progressive views on public health sparked national conversation and, as a result, she was asked to resign in 1994. In 1995, Dr. Elders returned to the University of Arkansas as a faculty researcher and professor of pediatric endocrinology. She is now retired and remains active in the public health education field.
3. Mae Jemison (b. 1956)
Mae Jemison is a physician and astronaut who made history in 1992 as the first Black woman to travel into space. Born in 1956 in Alabama, Dr. Jemison attended Stanford University and Cornell University Medical College, where she earned her medical degree. After completing her residency, she worked as a general practitioner in Los Angeles. She then joined the Peace Corps in 1983, working as a medical officer for two years in Africa. Her time in the Peace Corps taught her about the concerning issues with healthcare in developing countries.
After opening a private practice as a doctor, she decided to apply to the astronaut program at NASA. In 1987, she was one of the 15 people chosen, out of over 2,000 applications, to join NASA’s Astronaut Corps. During her space mission, Jemison conducted experiments on bone cells and continued to advocate for increased diversity in space programs. After leaving NASA, she founded the Jemison Group, a consulting firm that promotes science education and healthcare access for underrepresented communities. In honor of her mother, she also established the Dorothy Jemison Foundation for Excellence, which provides funding for science education programs for students of color.
Each of these women broke barriers in their respective fields and made significant contributions to healthcare. Jane Cooke Wright’s research revolutionized cancer treatment, Jocelyn Elders challenged traditional views on public health, and Mae Jemison inspired new generations of scientists and astronauts. Their legacies continue to inspire us today, and we must honor their contributions by continuing to work towards a more equitable and accessible healthcare system for all.
