Day 14: Happy Black History Month and Happy Valentine's day everyone today we are celebrating Dr. Rebecca Lee Crumpler as the first black female doctor in the United States. She was born on February 8, 1831 in Delaware. After studying at the New England Female Medical College, in 1864 she became the first African-American woman to become a doctor of medicine in the United States. Her first practice in medicine was with poor women and children in boston. She also worked to provide medical care to freed slaves. Being a black woman doctor was extremely rare at that time due to white men believing that a woman's job is to be submissive and subservient onto them. The believe that women should be seen and not heard didn't sit right with Dr. Rebecca Lee Crumpler she was seen and heard and she took up all the space they tried to steal from her. During that time there were only approximately 300 female doctors in the country, out of a total of 54,543 physicians. Every female doctor at the time was white. Dr. Rebecca Lee Crumpler was the exception, She was accepted into the New England Female Medical College in 1860 and was the only African American woman to go to that school at the time. In 1883, she wrote a book entitled A book of medical discourse: in two parts and became the only black female to produce a book during the 19th century. So today we honor Dr. Rebecca Lee Crumpler for breaking barriers and making history. Thanks for making the medical world a bit more safer for black women and children.