Rebecca Lee Crumpler - Bonev

Rebecca Lee

Crumpler

B i o g r a p h y

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Rebecca Lee Crumpler was an African-American woman born from Delaware. She lived from 1831 to 1895, was married twice and conceived one child. Dr. Rebecca Lee Crumpler was the first Black woman to earn a degree in the United states. She had battled terrible prejudice against African Americans and women in the medical field. She had earned herself a place at the New England Female Medical College in 1860. Many men at the time would argue that women were not smart enough or too delicate to be doctors. At the time most medical schools would keep out black students from attending regardless of gender.

The NEFMC had at first trained women to work only as midwives, but once Crumpler attended, it had changed to a more complete medical education for women. Dr. Crumpler graduated from the college in 1864, becoming the first ever female African American doctor. She had started her practice in Boston and once the end of the Civil War came she chose to do proper missionary work in Richmond, Virginia.

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Contributions

Dr. Crumpler’s contributions to medicine and her will to challenge racial and sexist barriers has solidified her rightful place in history. . Freedmen’s Bureau was who she had collaborated with as well as other charity and missionary groups to help care for the freed African Americans. She helped care for her patients who were quite poor and did not have access to medical care. Dr. Crumpler chose to continue to practice after returning to Boston.

She would then treat patients near her home, which at the time was mainly a Black neighborhood, even if they could not pay. In 1883, Crumpler had published A Book of Medical Discourses which featured advice on treating illnesses in young children, infants and pregnant women.

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Re b e e c a L e e C r u m p l e r Monument

Rebecca Lee Crumpler deser ves a monument because of all the amazing deeds she had accomplished in her life and all of the lives she had helped and saved in dire situations. She was a ver y courageous and kind soul and I think that for her to have been the one to show that African American females and just females in general can do more in life even in the medical field. The monument should be of Crumpler in her nurses attire in a framed por trait so that whenever someone walks by it won’t hard to miss. The reason it should be a framed por trait and not a statue is because she has accomplished a lot in her life and deser ves to have her picture showcased to ever yone. Por traits give off interesting feelings to different people which is why hanging her por trait somewhere for all to see would get more people to know of her and what she has done.

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Monument Locations G M U L ocation: E xplora tor y Hall o r A rt an d De s ign Building

The Monument should be either in GMUs Exploratory Hall and or Art and Design Building because she was involved in her medical doctorate, always learning to do better in her field.

Boston Massachusetts Location: Boston University School of Medicine

The Monument should also be placed in this university because that was once part of the New England Female Medicine College where she had become the first African American woman to earn a degree in the medical field to later become a doctor.

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Exploratory Hall

A r t a n d D esi gn Bui l di ng

Boston University School of Medicine