Dr. B. Smith

Honored to share I’ve earned my Doctorate of Health Sciences. I pursued this to help drive change—because health equity isn’t optional. I’m committed to challenging broken systems and centering underserved communities. The work continues. #HealthEquity #HealthJustice #DHSc

In 1970, they launched the People’s Free Medical Centers and the Sickle Cell Anemia Research Campaign, providing vital screenings and care for Black communities ignored by mainstream health systems. #HealthJustice #BHM

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#BlackHistoryMonth Fact of the Day: The Black Panther Party wasn’t just about activism—they revolutionized community health care.

Black History Fact of the Day:
Dr. Kizzmekia Corbett, a leading immunologist, played a key role in developing the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine. Her groundbreaking work in mRNA technology has saved millions of lives, proving that Black scientists continue to shape modern healthcare. #BlackHistory #STEM

Despite facing racial discrimination, Dr. Drew became the first Black surgeon to serve as an examiner for the American Board of Surgery and advocated against the segregation of blood donations.

#BlackHistoryMonth #MedicalPioneer #BlackExcellence

Black History Fact of the Day:
Dr. Charles Drew, known as the “Father of Blood Banking,” revolutionized modern medicine by developing innovative techniques for blood storage and plasma transfusion. His work led to the creation of large-scale blood banks during World War II, saving countless lives.

Black History Fact: In 1951, Henrietta Lacks, a Black woman, unknowingly changed medicine when doctors took her cells without consent. Her “HeLa” cells became the first immortal cell line, revolutionizing research—but her family fought for decades for recognition. #BlackHealthMatters

Her groundbreaking research on sickle cell disease led to universal newborn screening, saving countless lives. A true pioneer in public health! #BlackHistoryMonth #PublicHealthHeroes"

Black History Fact of the Day:
Dr. Marilyn Hughes Gaston made history as the first Black woman to lead the Bureau of Primary Health Care.

Today, we use this history to demand transparency, informed consent, and ethical research practices. It also led to the creation of regulations like the Belmont Report and IRBs to protect human subjects. Black health equity means learning from the past to build a just future.

#BlackHistory Fact of the Day: The Tuskegee Syphilis Study (1932–1972) was an unethical experiment in which Black men were denied treatment for syphilis to study the disease’s progression. This tragic violation of medical ethics led to lasting mistrust in healthcare.

She also played a key role in expanding maternal and child health programs, advocating for racial equity in healthcare long before the Civil Rights Movement. Her work laid the foundation for later public health initiatives aimed at reducing racial disparities in medicine.

As the director of the Howard University Medical School Health Services and president of the National Council of Negro Women, she established mobile health clinics that provided essential care to sharecroppers and impoverished families who had little to no access to medical services.

Black History Fact of the Day:

In the 1930s, Dr. Dorothy Boulding Ferebee, a pioneering Black physician and public health advocate, led efforts to improve healthcare access for Black communities in the rural South.

He also founded Provident Hospital, the first Black-owned hospital, ensuring Black patients and doctors had a place to thrive.

Black History Fact of the Day:
In 1893, Dr. Daniel Hale Williams performed the first successful open-heart surgery in the U.S.—without modern X-rays, antibiotics, or anesthesia.

Her book, A Book of Medical Discourses, published in 1883, is one of the first medical texts written by an African American. Dr. Crumpler’s work laid the foundation for Black women in medicine and public health.

She graduated from the New England Female Medical College in 1864 and dedicated her career to providing medical care for freed African Americans in the South after the Civil War.

Black History Healthcare Fact of the Day:

Dr. Rebecca Lee Crumpler (1831–1895) was the first Black woman in the United States to earn a medical degree.

Black History Fact of the Day: Dr. Kizzmekia Corbett played a crucial role in developing the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine. As a leading immunologist, her research helped shape one of the first vaccines to combat the pandemic, showcasing Black excellence in healthcare and science. #HealthcareInnovation

Despite his pivotal role in the civil rights movement, Rustin was often sidelined due to being openly gay. His legacy as a champion for both racial and LGBTQ+ justice continues to inspire activism today. #BlackHistory #BayardRustin #CivilRights

Black History Fact of the Day:
In 1963, Bayard Rustin was the chief organizer of the historic March on Washington, where Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his “I Have a Dream” speech.

Happy BLACK History Month

Black women are the most educated demographic in the U.S., earning degrees at higher rates than any other group. Yet, they remain underrepresented in leadership across the White House and major corporations.

If ‘best and brightest’ were the real standard, the numbers would look very different.

Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion (DEI) is being weaponized to dismantle itself—framed as a system that puts the ‘wrong’ people in positions. But the President called for the best and brightest. So let’s talk facts:

'I don’t see color’ isn’t progress—it’s erasure. Colorblindness ignores systemic racism, lived experiences, and the inequalities that persist. Acknowledging race isn’t the problem—denying it is.

Oh look. A President, a Governor, a Mayor - all at the crash site at the Chesapeake Bay with first responders. Not swimming. Showing empathy and leadership.

The U.S. withdrawal from WHO risks global health efforts, weakens disease response, and compromises access to vital data. Global health is interconnected—collaboration saves lives. #GlobalHealth #WHO

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I'm working on me this year. #2025