The history of African American women in the nursing profession can be traced back several hundred years - from Harriet Tubman to Lillian Holland Harvey. Their presence is well documented.
It is only fitting to celebrate nursing trailblazer and Civil Rights activist, Mary Eliza Mahoney. After completing a 16-month program at the New England Hospital for Women and Children (now the Dimock Community Health Center) at the age of 33, became one of the first licensed African-American nurses. Forty two students entered the rigorous program, Mary was one of four that completed it.
Ms. Mahoney's story is intricately woven against the backdrop of the fact that she was born to freed slaves. "Her parents, originally from North Carolina, moved north before the American Civil War in pursuit of a life with less racial discrimination." Many made that journey, but were not successful.
Ms. Mahoney was a fierce advocate of the nursing profession and women's rights. She co-founded the National Associate of Colored Graduate Nurses (NACGN) in 1908 and was one of the first women in Boston in 1920 to register to vote. African-American advocates in healthcare are desperately needed in this present day. According to the American Heart Association:
Cardiovascular diseases kill nearly 50,000 African-American women annually.
Of African-American women ages 20 and older, 49 percent have heart diseases.
Only 1 in 5 African-American women believes she is personally at risk.
Only 52 percent of African-American women are aware of the signs and symptoms of a heart attack.
Only 36 percent of African-American women know that heart disease is their greatest health risk.
Mary Mahoney's legacy will never be forgotten. Each year the American Nursing Association (ANA) presents the Mary Mahoney award to nurses who are intentional about integration in their field.
In light of February also being Cardiac Awareness month, Goldie D. Brangman CRNA, MEd, MBA, is the "first and only African American president of the American Association of Nurse Anesthetists (AANA)". She is a pioneer in the field of nurse anesthesia. She was also on the surgery team of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. after he was stabbed in the chest during a failed assassination attempt on his life.
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