Charles Drew: Distinguished Surgeon and Blood Researcher
Racism in America Slavery in Washington DC ended on April 16 1862 when Congress passed the District of Columbia Emancipation Act President Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation in 1863 This ended slavery across the country Even though slavery ended racism still existed African Americans were not granted the same rights as whites For example Drew was not allowed to visit the same restaurants or attend the same schools as whites 6 He revolutionized what we know about blood His scientific discoveries went on to save millions of lives Richard and Nora Drew had five children Charles was the oldest As an African-American family in the early 1900s the Drews faced hardships Schools and housing were segregated In most places in the United States at the time this meant African-American families had limited access to schooling Charles and his family were an exception Washington DC had a large population of African Americans There were many good schools for African Americans to attend in the area
Well into the 1900s many public facilities across the United States were segregated The Drew children had access to excellent schools but Charles focused more on sports He was an award-winning athlete at Dunbar High School He was an excellent swimmer and also participated in football basketball baseball and track 7
The Influenza Pandemic of 1918 The Influenza Pandemic of 1918 began as World War I 1914 1918 ended A pandemic is a disease or illness that spreads across the world Soldiers from many countries were fighting in Europe Some became sick while fighting When US soldiers came home many brought the illness with them An estimated 20 to 40 million people around the world died from influenza during the pandemic In the United States approximately 675,000 people died from the illness 8 An Interest in Medicine When Charles was 16 influenza or the flu spread across the United States The illness was so severe that all gathering places including schools were closed Treatment centers were available for only white people Charles’s sister Elsie died from the illness in 1920 It was Charles’s first experience with a serious illness Two years later Drew graduated from Dunbar High School He was awarded an athletic scholarship to Amherst College in Massachusetts He became a legend on the football and track
teams at Amherst Drew was once injured during a football game He had to be hospitalized This experience along with the memory of his sister’s illness influenced Drew to study medicine After graduating from Amherst College in 1926 he applied to medical school Teaching Biology and Chemistry To earn money for medical school Drew became a biology and chemistry teacher at Morgan College in Baltimore Maryland As usual Drew was better known for his athletic ability In his short time teaching at the college he became the athletic director He also worked to improve its sports program While applying to medical school Drew realized he had few options Most medical schools did not admit African Americans Harvard accepted only a few nonwhite students each year Harvard accepted Drew into their program But he would have to wait until the following fall to attend 9
