Black History Month at Cook Children's
Black History Month is a month-long celebration of African American history and achievement that takes place each February across the nation. Here at Cook Children’s, we will be observing Black History Month with weekly updates, recognitions and announcements. Be sure to check this page often for the latest information.
We've compiled a list of local and national resources for North Texas families to learn about the contributions of Black History to Tarrant County, Texas and the United States.
Distinct from recognition weeks dedicated to thanking those in various professional roles, sharing information about cultural holidays and observances is an important way to learn about our diverse workforce and raise awareness of challenges and successes of various groups.
If you have any ideas or recommendations for upcoming cultural holidays and observances that you would like to see, email us at InternalCommunications@cookchildrens.org
We asked our employees to share their thoughts on Black History Month at Cook Children's and here's what they had to say:
Spotlight: Dr. LaQuatre Rhodes is Passionate About her Pediatric Gastroenterology Patients
Watch: A Message from Stan Davis on Black History Month at Cook Children's (cookchildrensconnect.com)
The Spiritual Care team has provided information about Black faith leaders from around the country and their significant contributions: Get to know these powerful faith leaders in the Black community across the U.S.
Greetings from Prosper!
These links are resources you can utilize to learn more about Black History:
Exhibits - African American Museum Of Dallas (aamdallas.org)
African American History Self-Guided Tour (fortworth.com)
Current Special Exhibition - Dallas Holocaust and Human Rights Museum (dhhrm.org)
The Lenora Rolla Heritage Center Museum | Fort Worth, TX 76104-3719
Tarrant County Black Historical and Genealogical Society
Tarrant County Black Historical and Genealogical Society - The Portal to Texas History
The African American Story | Texas State History Museum (thestoryoftexas.com)
Black History Fun Facts
Last updated: Feb. 23, 2023
| Date | Person | Historic Accomplishment |
| 1837 | James McCune Smith | First Black American to receive a medical degree. |
| 1864 | Rebecca Lee Crumpler | First African American Woman to receive an MD degree. |
| 1868 | Howard University School of Medicine | First series of classes started Nov. 9, becoming the first program in the United States to open its doors to medical students of all races, genders and social classes. |
| 1879 | Mary Eliza Mahoney | First African American woman in the U.S. to earn a professional nursing license. |
| 1893 | Daniel Hale Williams III | One of first doctors to perform open heart surgery in the United States. |
| 1895 | Nathan Francis Mossell | Co-founder of one of the first Black hospitals. |
| 1895 | The National Medical Association | The nation's oldest and largest organization representing Black physicians and health care professionals in the United States is founded in Atlanta, GA. |
| 1940s | Vivien Thomas | Contributed to the invention of heart surgery. |
| 1940s | Louis T. Wright | Antibiotic research pioneer. |
| 1943 | Myra Adele Logan | First woman to perform open heart surgery. |
| 1956 | Emmett J. Conrad | First Black surgeon at St. Paul's Hospital. |
| 1957 | Donald A. Brooks | Firs Black diplomat of the American Board of Surgery to establish a practice in Texas. |
| 1960s-70s | Freedom House Ambulance Service | First paramedics service in the United States comprised of a team of Black men. |
| 1972 | Foster Kidd | First Black doctor to serve on the Texas Health Board. |
| 1981 | Alexa Irene Canady | First African American female neurosurgeon in the United States. |
| 1994 | Marion J. Brooks | Civil Rights activist in Fort Worth, TX advocating for equal access to medical care for the Black community. |
| 2009 | Regina Benjamin | Confirmed by the U.S. Senate as surgeon general. |
| 2011 | William Coleman, Jr. | Appointed as the first permanent scientific director of the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities, and the first Black scientific director in the history of the NIH Intramural Research Program. |
Works Cited:
Celebrating 10 African-American medical pioneers | AAMC
Biography: Mary Eliza Mahoney (womenshistory.org)
The Remarkable Story of Vivien Thomas, the Black Man Who Helped Invent Heart Surgery - Washingtonian
Dallas-Fort Worth Black Living Legends: Medicine - Exhibits - University Libraries - UNT
9 African American pioneers in medicine | American Heart Association
Honoring Black Americans’ Contributions to Medicine | AAFP
Freedom House: America’s first paramedics were Black men | wfaa.com
Similar to our beloved pride month and valentines shirts.