Rebecca Lee Society of Women in Medicine Networking & Honoring Ceremony

Oscar Nominated Film “Hidden Figures” Inspires the Honoring of African American Female Physicians this Black History Month.

On the heels of celebrating the historical contributions of black women who helped win the space race as told in the Oscar nominated film “Hidden Figures,” the Center for Black Women’s Wellness (CBWW) shines the light on the legacy of the first African American female physician- Rebecca Lee Crumpler- this Black History Month.  On February 26th, CBWW will host an honoring ceremony to celebrate the life and contributions of Rebecca Lee Crumpler, who helped pave the way for future generations of African American women to practice medicine.  Taking place at the Morehouse School of Medicine Center for Primary Care, the event will also recognize the contributions of founding members of the Rebecca Lee Society of Women In Medicine organization, which was founded in 1989.  The organization was established to uphold the Rebecca Lee legacy by continuing efforts to breakthrough barriers in the field of medicine. Proceeds from this event will help to expand the clinical facility of CBWW, which has met the comprehensive health and wellness needs of Atlanta’s underserved women and their families for nearly 30 years.

An Introduction to Rebecca Lee Crumpler
Similar to the story of the 3 African-American women who overcame great adversity while helping NASA launch astronaut John Glenn into orbit, as told in the film Hidden Figures, Crumpler serves as the guiding inspiration to women physicians for overcoming the adversity faced when becoming the first African American female doctor in the United States in 1864. According to the article “Celebrating Rebecca Lee Crumpler, first African-American woman physician ” by Dr. Howard Markel, during the time when Crumpler studied medicine, many of her white male counterparts complained that women lacked the physical strength to practice medicine and insisted that not only were women incapable of mastering a medical curriculum, but the topics taught were inappropriate for their “sensitive and delicate nature.”  Crumpler not only defied this thinking by becoming the first African American female doctor but she went on to practice medicine for more than 20 years and authored A Book of Medical Discourses in Two Parts. Markel’s article further states that this book, which may well be the first medical text by an African-American author, is dedicated “to mothers, nurses, and all who may desire to mitigate the afflictions of the human race.”
“Thanks to the life and contributions of Rebecca Lee Crumpler, organizations such as the Center for Black Women’s Wellness can be in existence today and thrive,” says Jemea Dorsey, CEO of the Center for Black Women’s Wellness. “We’re proud to be an organization primarily comprised of an African American female medical staff, servicing thousands of underserved African American women and their families annually. Like Rebecca Lee, CBWW is dedicated to ensuring that the highest quality of care is made available to everyone and by all those qualified for the job- no matter their race nor gender.”