Celebrate Black History Month
Black History tells the story of resilience, brilliance, struggle and transformation in the world, especially here in the United States.
From slavery to the civil rights movement to cultural power, Black History continues through ongoing struggles of equity, justice and representation (movements like Black Lives Matter) worldwide.
There are so many other Black Americans who contributed to the Black culture, movements, community, literature, art, fashion, sports, music, etc.
To kick off Black History Month, I would like to share with you Dr Alexa Canady:
Alexa was born and raised in Lansing, Michigan. Her father was a dentist and a World War II veteran; her mother was an educator and civil rights leader. At an early age, Alexa's parents instilled in her the importance of discipline, education, values, and perseverance. Having these tools helped create a solid foundation for her which allowed her to excel academically. She graduated from Lansing High School with honors in 1967. She enrolled in the University of Michigan initially majoring in mathematics but then switched to zoology earning a Bachelor of Science degree, and became a member of Delta Sigma Theta. While in college, she participated in a summer program for minority students in medicine which shaped her decision to pursue a medical career. She continued her studies by enrolling in the university's medical school and graduated cum laude with her M.D in 1975.
There was hardship in finding an internship opportunity due to racial bias which included being dismissed by some as an "equal opportunity package". She started her training with a surgical internship at Yale-New Haven Hospital from 1975-1976, becoming one of the hospital's top interns. She completed her neurosurgical residency at the University of Minnesota in 1981 making her the first African American woman in the United States to become a neurosurgeon. In 1984 she became the first African American woman to be certified by the American Board of Neurological Surgery.
Choosing to specialize as a pediatric neurosurgeon, it led her to working at hospitals like Henry Ford and Children's Hospital of Michigan. Three years later she became the Director of Neurosurgery at the Children's Hospital, and the department was labeled the best in the country while under her supervision. She retired in 2001 from Children's Hospital and moved to Florida. Recognizing that there were no pediatric neurosurgeons in her area, she began to practice part time at Pensacola's Sacred Heart Hospital before fully retiring in 2012.
At the beautiful age of 75 now, she understands the lasting impact that her achievements have on women and the African American community today 🙂
On behalf of AH'S Employee Resource Group- Happy Black History Month
Written by: Nicole Forsythe