email article
The contributions made by African and Black American medical professionals to health and wellness are many. While determining just how many lives these trailblazers saved is impossible, we know that without their imagination, knowledge, and desire to help others many lives would have been lost. Since it is Black History Month, now is the perfect time to recognize and celebrate some of the numerous contributions the Black community has afforded the medical industry and the world overall.
Around 1716 – Onesimus
Onesimus is an African slave who, in 1706, is gifted to Cotton Mather, the Puritan minister. Mather recognizes that Onesimus is exceptional and considers him an individual with intelligence. As such, Mather begins instructing Onesimus, teaching him how to read and how to write, thus ensuring that Onesimus represents the Mather household well.