Today we honor Mary Eliza Mahoney (May 7, 1845 – January 4, 1926), the first Black woman to graduate from an American school of nursing.
Opportunities for women in nursing began to grow during the US Civil War, as they were needed to help treat wounded soldiers. Training programs were formed across the country, but generally were only open to white women. Despite the difficulty of finding a place in a training program, Mary Eliza Mahoney continued to work toward her goal of becoming a nurse. She found work at the New England Hospital for Women and Children, working as a cook, maid and washerwoman. She was able to demonstrate her physical fitness as well as determination, and in 1878 they accepted her into a class of 40 students, of which only three (Mahoney and two white women) were the only ones to receive their degree.
She worked for many years as a private care nurse, often working with wealthy white women and their newborns. She focused her efforts on changing the public perception of nursing and especially the way women of color working as nurses were treated. She earned a reputation for her skill and preparedness, as well as her professionalism, and was highly sought out for jobs across the country.
In 1896, she was one of the original members of the Nurses Associated Alumnae of the US and Canada, but when they stopped admitting women of color, she left to co-founded the National Association of Colored Graduate Nurses, with the mission to uplift the standards and everyday lives of Black registered nurses, and eliminating racial discrimination in the profession.
In retirement, she was still concerned with equality, and a strong supporter of women's suffrage and civil rights. In 1920, after the passage of the 19th Amendment, she was among the first women in Boston to register to vote.
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