Rebecca Lee Crumpler was the first black female doctor in the United States. Born Rebecca Davis in Delaware on February 8, 1831, she grew up in Pennsylvania, where her aunt cared for the sick and exposed her to the field of medicine. Despite the deep-rooted prejudices against women and African Americans in medicine, Crumpler was determined to pursue a career in the medical field. She eventually graduated from the New England Women's Medical College in 1864, becoming the first black woman to earn a medical degree in the US. Systemic racism and anti-blackness continue to affect both patients and physicians in the US.
The fact that black scientists and physicians have been among the pioneers of medical science is often ignored. Lee Crumpler saw that black communities were at greater risk of suffering from epidemics due to precarious living conditions and understood that infections could be prevented by taking appropriate measures. She wrote her book to advise and instruct black women directly about protecting their own health, as well as that of their children. After working assiduously for the office, in 1869, Dr. Lee Crumpler had moved back to Boston, where he cared for patients in the local black community.
Despite her enormous achievements and dedication, much remains to be known about the life of this pioneer of black women in medicine. For example, historians cannot yet identify with certainty an image of Dr. Crumpler. While she is misidentified in several photographs online, her true image remains a mystery. Now, two nonprofits seek to give Rebecca Lee Crumpler, MD, the recognition she deserves.
Headstones for the Crumplers would be placed near the stick visible to the left Victoria Gall, president of The Friends of Hyde Park Library, said she heard about Crumpler while investigating graves of people of historical importance to Hyde Park. He is buried in an unnamed grave in Boston's Hyde Park neighborhood. Crumpler's legacy is one of courage and determination. She was bold; at the time, there were only 300 women out of 55,000 doctors in the US. Many of the doctors he worked for wrote letters of recommendation in support of his admission.
The New England Women's Medical College had been founded by Israel Tisdale Talbot, MD, and Samuel Gregory, MD, in 1848, even though other physicians at the time claimed that women could not manage the medical curriculum and that many subjects were not appropriate for their sensitive and sensitive nature. The curriculum included classes in chemistry, anatomy, physiology, hygiene and more, and students had to write a thesis. The first year of classroom teaching was followed by a two-year apprenticeship with a doctor. After graduating in 1864, Crumpler began practicing in Boston, but shortly after the end of the Civil War, he headed to Richmond to help care for freed slaves who otherwise would not have had good access to health care. She saw it as the right field for true missionary work, and one that would present ample opportunities to become familiar with the diseases of women and children. She worked through the Libertos Office and through missionary and community groups, even though black doctors would still have been subject to the same racism that existed in the post-war South. In 1869, Crumpler returned to Boston, where he focused on pediatrics, treating all children regardless of pay.
Sullivan recently visited the Crumpler family grave, describing it as a very pleasant place just above the banks of Mother Brook. From there you can see the house where the Crumplers lived; he said when he went to meet with their current owners he discovered that the family had been living there for several generations and probably bought the property directly from them or their farm. Asked why there were no stones for Rebecca and Arthur Sullivan said that they had no children spending could have played a role and that having come from slavery Arthur was probably not related to putting a stone on his grave. Crumpler's legacy lives on today through her pioneering work as a doctor and her commitment to providing healthcare access for all people regardless of race or gender. Her story serves as an inspiration for future generations of black female doctors who are determined to make a difference in their communities.
