Eager to encourage greater equality for black Americans and women in general, Mary Eliza Mahoney took it upon herself to pursue a nursing career in the late 1840s when racism ran rampant across the nation. Her noble goal was to prove that a woman, a black woman no less, could graduate as a professional nurse. But she knew such endeavours would be arduous. When she applied for her exams, no black woman had done what she was attempting and only a handful of black men had. Mary was taking on a predominantly male and white profession. But would she succeed and what kind of legacy would she leave behind? This is the story of the first black nurse who set about to change the world…
The Dream to Be a Nurse and the Fight to Be Recognised as the First
Mary Eliza Mahoney was born on May 7th, 1845 in Dorchester, Massachusetts. Although her parents were once enslaved, by the time Mary was born they had been freed. They left North Carolina behind in pursuit of a life with little or, preferably, no racial discrimination. From an early age, Mary learnt the importance of racial equality.
Mary’s parents provided her with the confidence she needed to face an often hostile world. At the age of 10, Mary was admitted into the Phillips School, one of the first integrated schools in Boston. There she learnt about humanity and morality, influencing her early interest in nursing.
Like many little girls, Mary knew she wanted to be a nurse. The idea of the colour of her skin being an issue rarely, if ever, crossed her mind. The Civil War saw a surge in demand for nurses so perhaps this inspired young Mary. But in those days, black women faced barriers, often systemic, to formal training and opportunities as nurses.
In the south, applications from black women had always been denied. There was simply no chance for Mary there. Farther north, however, you’d expect the opportunities to be far greater but even there, chances to have a career in nursing were severely limited.
Still, at least in the north, Mary thought she had a chance. She began working at the New England Hospital for Women and Children. Here she worked for 15 years in a variety of roles. At one point, she was the caretaker. Another, the cook. And yet another, a washerwoman. But most importantly of all, she was also presented with the opportunity to work as a nurse’s aide, enabling her to learn much about the nursing profession.
In 1878, Mary was admitted into a 16-month program at the hospital alongside 39 other students. Mary did not meet the age criteria but her connections to the hospital gave her some leeway. Her training required that she spend at least one year in the hospital’s various wards to learn about nursing. But the program was intense.
She worked from 5.30 in the morning to 9.30 at night. She had to attend lectures and learn from the doctors on the ward. She was also taught bedside procedures, such as bandaging and taking vital signs. Three-quarters of the program consisted of the nurses working within a surgical, maternity or medical ward with six patients they were responsible for caring for. Throughout the program, Mary earned between $1 and $4 a week.
Many students did not complete the program because its requirements were so tough, and because it didn’t pay much, but Mary was committed to seeing it through. She knew no black woman had qualified as a nurse before. That’s one of the main reasons she was doing this. She genuinely wanted to be a nurse but she also wanted to prove a point.
The program was so tough only four people completed it. Three white women… and Mary. She did it! She actually did it. With that, she became the first black American woman to earn a professional nursing licence. She had grand plans for what she wanted to do next with her life, but sadly, discrimination was standing in her way…
The Nurse Unlike Any Other Who Forever Changed the World
After she finished her training and qualified, Mary opted not to follow a career in public nursing due to overwhelming discrimination. Instead, she decided to follow a career as a private nurse to focus on individual patients where she was far less likely to face discrimination.
Most of her patients were wealthy white families who lived on the east coast. Mary was known for her caring bedside manner, efficiency and patience. The majority of her work was with newborn babies and mothers. During the early years of her employment, she was often treated more as a household servant rather than a professional nurse. She combated this by, for example, eating her dinner alone in the kitchen to distance herself from the existing household, who often ate with their servants.
The families she worked for praised Mary’s work, her professionalism helping to raise the status and standards of all nurses, especially minority groups. Her reputation spread like wildfire and soon, she was receiving nursing requests from patients in other northern states and even in the south.
Mary really wanted to change the way people thought about non-white nurses, aiming to abolish discrimination in the nursing field. In 1896, she became one of the original members of the then almost entirely white Nurses Associated Alumnae of the United States and Canada. The NAAUSC did not accept black nurses. So Mary broke away and formed a new nurse’s association, one that did accept black nurses. She did this with the help of Martha Franklin and Adah Thoms. Together, they created the National Association of Colored Graduate Nurses or NACGN to advocate for the equality of black nurses.
Mary worked with Martha and Adah to improve access to education and nursing practices and attempted to improve the standards and everyday lives of black registered nurses. The NACGN had a significant influence on eliminating racial discrimination in the registered nursing profession and celebrating the accomplishments of minority nurses.
In 1909, Mary spoke at the NACGN’s first annual convention. The NACGN struggled in their early years with only 26 female nurses in attendance at their first national convention, but Mary stood and spoke regardless. She recognised the inequalities in her nursing education and the education of nurses in those days in general. The 26 members voted to give Mary a lifetime membership and a position as the organisation’s chaplain, which was nice…
Mary also served as director of the Howard Colored Orphan Asylum for black children in New York from 1911 to 1912. The asylum served as a home for freed black children and black elderly people. The institution was run by black people. It was here Mary finished her career, having trained as a nurse later in her life, in her 30s. She helped people using all she had learnt in her life.
Throughout her life, she fought hard for basic human rights and to legitimise the role of black women in nursing. She also helped to shift public opinion of nursing as a profession. She left a profound effect on everyone she met. But it wasn’t until her old age that she took her place on the world’s stage.
She was the first woman to register to vote in Boston, one of the most influential cities in America. She celebrated the passing of women’s right to vote and her story spread like wildfire. Her nursing legacy spread to all corners of the world. This remarkable nurse who just got on with life and rarely let anything stand in her way.
She finally retired from nursing after 40 years in the profession. Sadly, in 1923, Mary was diagnosed with breast cancer. She battled the illness for three years until she died on January 4th, 1926 at the age of 80.
Epilogue
Mary Eliza Mahoney was the first black woman to study and work as a professionally trained nurse in America, graduating in 1879, some 85 years before segregation was ended in America. She earned the adoration of her patients for her charm, bedside manner and expertise. She was damn good at her job and remember, she did it partially to prove a point: that black women, and women in general, can do that job as well as anyone else.
Because of Mary’s work, there was a huge increase in acceptance of black women in the medical profession and she did it by being professional. She refused to be treated as a servant and refused to say ‘no’. She was successful in achieving her goal, taking on a predominantly male and white profession and coming through victorious. She did indeed succeed and left behind one hell of a legacy for all other non-white nurses who followed in her footsteps.
It is no exaggeration to say that Mary helped to change the world. She helped to further opportunities for all women, leaving behind a legacy quite unlike any other nurse.
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Image Credit
https://www.blackpast.org/african-american-history/mahoney-mary-eliza-1845-1926/
Post Sources
https://kids.kiddle.co/Mary_Eliza_Mahoney, https://online.simmons.edu/blog/nursing-stories-mary-eliza-mahoney/, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mary_Eliza_Mahoney, https://www.biography.com/activist/mary-mahoney, https://www.womenshistory.org/education-resources/biographies/mary-mahoney, https://kidskonnect.com/people/mary-mahoney/
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