Black Nurses in White

Black history month is a time to give recognition to African Americans who have made a positive impact on society. The first half of the 20th century in our country can unfortunately be characterized by bigotry, bias, and racial prejudice in most aspects of American life, including the medical profession.

In the book Black Women in White, Racial Conflict and Cooperation in the Nursing Profession, 1890-1950, Darlene Clark Hines describes both the racial conflict and the cooperation that occurred in the nursing profession during this period. The author explores the struggle of the black nurse in the world of medicine and compares it to the growth of nursing for white women. She tells of the remarkable courage and strength black nurses showed to others in an atmosphere that was not supportive of black achievement and professionalism.

Black women knocked on the doors of inequality to demand their rightful place in the nursing profession. They organized themselves to achieve integrated training and they established professional nursing organizations. The movement was slow and difficult. Today in South Carolina, we have over 9,000 nurses, female and male. All nurses are special people, but today I salute the black nurse for special recognition.

I am Dr. Thaddeus John Bell --- Closing the Gap in Health Disparities for African Americans.

Bell Update Volume 3, Chapter 7

Copyright February 2008