02/26/2026
Today we honor …
Dr. Rebecca Lee Crumpler, the first Black woman in the United States to earn a medical degree.
In 1864 — during a time of immense racial and gender barriers — Dr. Crumpler completed medical school and dedicated her career to caring for women, children, and formerly enslaved individuals who had little to no access to healthcare.
She later published “A Book of Medical Discourses,” one of the first medical texts written by a Black physician, focusing on community health and preventative care.
Her legacy reminds us that medicine is not just about treatment — it’s about service, access, and advocacy.
🖤 Honoring those who paved the way so others could follow.
💬 What does equitable healthcare mean to you?
📚 Learn more:
Today we honor Dr. Rebecca Lee Crumpler, the first Black woman in the United States to earn a medical degree.
In 1864 — during a time of immense racial and gender barriers — Dr. Crumpler completed medical school and dedicated her career to caring for women, children, and formerly enslaved individuals who had little to no access to healthcare.
She later published “A Book of Medical Discourses,” one of the first medical texts written by a Black physician, focusing on community health and preventative care.
Her legacy reminds us that medicine is not just about treatment — it’s about service, access, and advocacy.
🖤 Honoring those who paved the way so others could follow.
💬 What does equitable healthcare mean to you?
📚 Learn more:
https://www.nlm.nih.gov/exhibition/blackhealth/physicians.html
📸 Suggested image credit: National Library of Medicine
📸 Image represents the published cover/title page of Dr. Crumpler’s medical text (public domain, U.S. National Library of Medicine). No verified photo of Dr. Rebecca Lee Crumpler exists.