Black History Month 2024: Reclaiming narratives
10 October 2024
This year’s theme, Reclaiming Narratives, offers the perfect opportunity to shine a light on black contributors to healthcare who are perhaps lesser known.
First, let’s talk about Dr Charles Drew. Dr Drew significantly advanced practices around blood transfusion, especially in World War II, where he led the Blood for Britain project – an initiative that shipped plasma from the U.S to the UK to aid the wounded. Dr Drew laid the foundations for our modern blood donation systems and his innovations included blood plasma preservation and the first large-scale blood bank. He was an important advocator for racial equality in healthcare and dedicated himself to the training of black doctors.
Another name we should remember is Dr Cecil Clarke. Dr Clarke was instrumental in improving maternal and infant health services, focussing on nutrition and prenatal care. Clark’s Rule, the mathematical formula to determine the safe dosage of medication to give to a child, is thanks to his legacy. Clarke was a prominent advocate for the UK civil rights movement and founded the pressure group ‘League of Coloured Peoples’, alongside black physician Dr Harold Moody. The League was created in 1931, with the goal of racial equality around the world.
Dr Harold Moody also deserves celebration. Despite racism which stopped him securing hospital positions, in 1913 he set up his own practice in Peckham, South London. His civil rights advocacy helped to implement the Race Relations Act 1965. This was the first legislation in the UK to prohibit racial discrimination in public places.
There are so many more black contributors to healthcare, including Nurse Annie Brewster, who worked at the London Hospital in 1881-1902, Nurse Mary Seacole, a British nurse and prominent businesswoman, and Dame Elizabeth Anionwu, who is a British nurse, healthcare administrator, lecturer, and Emeritus Professor of Nursing at the University of West London. The impact of their work to science as well as diversity, equality and inclusion is monumental.
For more information on Black History Month, visit the Black Histoy Month website
Tamara Cherrie-Rees
Digital Communications Officer, Association of Anaesthetists
Editor’s Note: We are also publishing this article in the November issue of Anaesthesia News.