Bernardine Lacey (middle) and classmates in 1961 at Gilfoy School of Nursing, Jackson, MI. Photo courtesy of Bernardine Lacey.

February is the month designated for remembering the contributions of Black people to our nation and our culture. It’s a good reminder that in nursing, too, we have benefited from many strong Black women (and at least a few men), who often persevered in the face of discrimination in obtaining education and jobs.

The AJN archives have many articles worth revisiting.

This article from 1976, “Black Nurses : Their Service and Their Struggle” (to read, click on the pdf), describes the struggles of several of our profession’s notable Black nurses, including Mary Mahoney (the first Black nurse to be licensed).

This article from our August 2020 issue, ‘You Don’t Have Any Business Being This Good’: An Oral History Interview with Bernardine Lacey,” shares Black nursing leader Bernardine Lacey’s experiences with racism in her education and career and explores some of the difficult truths about racism and the culpable role of nursing in this history:

Building on this perspective, read a conversation from our September issue with nurse, activist, and scientist Monica McLemore.

Lest we forget the intensified attention to issues of racial equity over the last year, it’s illuminating to read this summary of highlights from a recent racism in nursing webinar. Or you can watch the archived webinar itself.

And for true historical perspective, a jewel: an article by Booker T. Washington, published in 1910, on nurses’ training at Tuskegee (click on the pdf at the landing page to read the article).

All of the above articles will be free until March 1.