On the anniversary of her death let us remember Rebecca Lee Crumpler the first African-American Female Physician. Born in 1831, Rebecca Lee went to medical school at a time when women of color were often denied access to even the most basic level of education. She may have been drawn to the medical profession from watching her aunt -who raised her- provide care for neighbors and others in need. By the 1850s, Crumpler had followed her aunt’s lead, becoming a nurse in Massachusetts. She went on to enroll at the New England Female Medical College in Boston.

After earning her medical degree (which there was apparent reluctance to give her her earned degree) in 1864, Crumpler started out practicing in Boston. She moved south to Richmond, Virginia, after the end of the Civil War to provide much needed care for freed slaves. She later returned to Boston where she wrote A Book of Medical Discourses, a two-volume work on health care based on her experiences as a doctor. Read more here: http://www.blackpast.org/…/crumpler-rebecca-davis-lee-1831-… Including that there is now a society in her honor that helps young African-American women pursue careers in the medical field.

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