School of Medicine Homepage
Emory University Shield
  • About
    • Our Vision
    • Academic Departments
    • Our Leadership
    • Health Care Partnerships
    • Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion
    • Location
    • Supporting Our People
    • Our Faculty
    • History
    • News
    • Events
    • Contact Us
  • Education
    • Degree and Certificate Programs
    • Academic Departments
    • Residents & Fellows
    • Postdoctoral Training
    • Continuing Medical Education
    • Admissions
    • Cost and Financial Aid
    • Student Resources
  • Research
    • Research Innovation
    • Conducting Research
    • Core Facilities
    • Research Centers
    • Research Training
    • Academic Departments
    • Find a Researcher
    • Research News
  • Clinical Experience
    • Where We Work
    • Caring for a Diverse Population
    • Faculty Clinical Experience
    • Advanced Patient Care
    • Academic Departments
    • Community Learning
  • Giving
  • Directory
  • Giving
  • Directory
  • Home School of Medicine Home
  • About
  • Diversity, Equity & Inclusion
  • Actionable Education Initiative
  • History

History

Explore SOM African American History

Emory School of Medicine honors, acknowledges, recognizes and celebrates African American physicians for their leadership, scholarship and service.

Black and white photo of old Emory School of Medicine building

Power to Heal Documentary

Power to Heal tells a poignant chapter in the historic struggle to secure equal and adequate access to healthcare for all Americans. Central to the story is the tale of how a new national program, Medicare, was used to mount a dramatic, coordinated effort that desegregated thousands of hospitals across the country practically overnight. Emory Library access is needed to view.

Power to Heal video screenshot

Giving Voice: The Rest of His Story with Dr. Marion Hood

In 1959, Dr. Marion G. Hood applied to Emory School of Medicine but was denied consideration for admission due to his race during a painful time of segregation in this country. Despite this obstacle, Dr. Hood went on to have a long and distinguished career in the field of gynecology and obstetrics. During this celebration, Emory School of Medicine formally apologized to Dr. Hood and invited him to share the rest of his story.

Marion Hood wearing graduation regalia

The Struggle and Triumph of America's First Black Doctors

African American physicians have dealt with distrust and misperceptions for more than a century. Learn more about the history of early black doctors through the story of John Henry Jordan in Coweta County, Georgia.

The Struggle and Triumph of America's First Black Doctors

Historical Foundations of Racial Disparities

Dr. Kylie Smith, associate professor in Emory's Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing, discusses the impact of history on disparities in American healthcare. Smith also serves as the director of the Center for Healthcare History and Policy, a hub for scholarly research and education at the intersection of history and healthcare policy.

Black and white photo of nurses learning in a classroom
Diversity, Equity & Inclusion
  • Actionable Education Initiative
    • Health Equity
    • Implicit Bias Education
    • Bystander To Upstander
    • History
  • Faculty Resource Groups
    • Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Medical Faculty Association Affinity Group
    • African American Women Collaborative Faculty Affinity Group
    • Emory Alliance for Women in Medicine and Science
    • LGBTQ+ Faculty Affinity Group
    • Latina/o/x Faculty Affinity Group
    • Emory Employee Resource Groups (ERGs)
  • Together We Thrive Week
    • 2025 Program
    • Religious Diversity, Compassion and Mindfulness
  • Discovery and Innovation
  • Strategic Plan Executive Summary
  • Policy on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
Emory University Homepage

Contact & Location

Emory University School of Medicine
100 Woodruff Circle
Atlanta, GA  30322 USA
  • Contact Us
  • Maps & Directions
  • Careers

Information For

  • Alumni
  • Faculty & Staff
  • Patients
  • Residents & Fellows
  • Students
Support the School of Medicine School of Medicine Intranet
facebook facebook twitter twitter linkedin linkedin instagram instagram youtube youtube
© 2024 Emory University
  • Privacy Policy
  • Emergency Information