Rebecca Lee Crumpler became the first African American woman to earn an M.D. degree.
On January 1, 1864, Rebecca Lee Crumpler graduated from the New England Female Medical College, becoming the first African American woman in the United States to earn an M.D. degree. This extraordinary achievement was a defining moment in American medicine, challenging the deeply rooted racial and gender biases of the 19th century. The college, which was notably progressive in its admission of women, counted Rebecca as its only Black graduate. Her accomplishment not only signaled a new era in medical diversity but also laid the groundwork for subsequent generations of African American professionals in medicine.