Shining a light on Black women physicians

A new book by alumna Jasmine Brown fills in overlooked chapters of U.S. medical history.

From the Civil War to the 21st century, Black women have fought to become physicians. A new book by Jasmine Brown, AB ’18, tells the story of the barriers Black women pursuing a career in medicine have faced throughout ­history. ­Published in January, Twice as Hard ­(Beacon Press) shines a light on the achievements of these ­women, often ignored or forgotten.

“It is important to understand the barriers Black women physicians faced,” Brown says. “As more professionals are working to correct some of the wrongs and increase diversity in medicine and research, we need the historical perspective to understand what these barriers are rooted in. Where are they coming from? I hoped to show some of the ways that tensional barriers contributed to what we experience today.”

After earning a biology degree from WashU with a focus on neuroscience, Brown, an Ervin and Rodriguez scholar, spent two years at the University of Oxford as a Rhodes Scholar doing research on the topic that ultimately earned her a master of philosophy degree in the history of science, medicine and technology.

Read more here!