Dr. Susan McKinney Steward, born in 1847, was a groundbreaking figure as the first Black woman to earn a medical degree in New York. Overcoming racial and gender barriers, she graduated as valedictorian from the New York Medical School for Women and Children in 1870. Although she faced skepticism when starting her medical practice in Brooklyn, her skills earned her a diverse patient base. Furthermore, she founded the Women's Hospital and Dispensary, advocating for racial inclusion and women's rights until her death in 1918.
After a slow start, word of her skills began to spread around Brooklyn and despite skepticism of the ability of a Black doctor, she attracted a broad, diverse group of patients.
For McKinney Steward, medicine was more than just treatment. It was a means by which she could further elevate and impact the community she loved and fight for racial inclusion and women's rights.
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