Black History: Rebecca Lee Crumpler

Rebecca Lee Crumpler challenged the prejudice that prevented African Americans from pursuing careers in medicine to became the first African American woman in the United States to earn an M.D. degree, a distinction formerly credited to Rebecca Cole. Although little has survived to tell the story of Crumpler’s life, she has secured her place in the historical record with her book of medical advice for women and children, published in 1883. Dr. Rebecca Crumpler was the first African American woman to earn an M.D. degree. Dr. Rebecca Crumpler’s ‘Book of Medical Discourses’ is one of the very first medical publications by an African American.

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