Black Pioneers

Pioneers never have an easy trail to follow. Being a black pioneer blazing a trail in the 1800’s must have been a lonely task.

We, as a community, must be thankful for those trailblazers who came before. We should strive to give them their honor and due respect.  This section of the CreateVitality.Com blog is my attempt to do just that.

Doctor Daniel Hale Williams (1856-1931)

Many of us have not heard of Dr. Daniel Hale Williams. An African American, he was the preeminent pioneer surgeon in open heart surgery. But he accomplished much more in his lifetime.

Dr. Williams began his practice in Chicago, at a time when there were only three other black physicians in the city.

He was already acutely aware of the prejudice and inferior treatment shown towards blacks in Chicago hospitals, when in 1889, Emma Reynolds, a young woman who aspired to be a nurse, was denied admission by each of Chicago’s nursing schools,  on the grounds that she was black.

This led to his founding of the Provident Hospital and Nursing Training School in 1891. How many times have we had to say, “I’ll do it myself?”

Like many projects of merit, strong support was garnered. This support came not just from the black community, but from a variety of residents, workers, employers, public officials, church leaders, and civic leaders who all contributed heavily to opening and sustaining the facility.

To read more about the fascinating life and career of Dr. Daniel Hale Williams, go here. Doctor Daniel Hale Williams (1856-1931)

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