Hello there, kidz and parentz all over Savannah! We’re celebrating Black History Month. We’re going to have some fun doing it, okay?
We’ll share a little knowledge with you through our blogs and social media posts, and if you want you can share that knowledge all around. Our goal is to highlight great African-American characters from American history and the impact they had on the world. Urgent Kidz Care is a Black Owned Business, and we want to have a positive impact on our community, too. So for us, this is a little inspiration
James McCune Smith: America’s First Black Physician
Well, let me tell you about James McCune Smith. He was one impressive individual! Born back in 1813, he was the first African American to earn a medical degree and practice medicine in the good ol’ U.S. of A. But get this – he had to go on all the way over to Scotland because American schools weren’t letting African Americans in yet. Talk about determination!
Now, not only was he a top-notch doctor, but he was also a fierce abolitionist. He wrote and talked all about kicking slavery to the curb and fighting for equal rights. Smith didn’t just stick to the stethoscope; he used his platform to speak out against racial injustice and penned some pretty powerful pieces on race, medicine, and society.
Another of our favorite Black Americans, Frederick Douglass said that his colleague James McCune Smith was “the single most important influence on his life.” That’s a pretty big deal, because Frederick Douglass was an incredible, influential man in his own right! They started the National Council of Colored People together in 1853.
Of course, as medical professionals, we think of JMS as a major inspiration for us. But also when you think of James McCune Smith, remember him as not just a medical trailblazer but also a champion for justice and equality. That’s the real deal, folks!
This is Urgent Kidz Care, helping to spread a little bit of helpful knowledge. We’re inspired by James McCune Smith and we hope after hearing a little about his story, you are, too. Thanks for checking this out! We so appreciate you celebrating Black History Month with us.
