Why We care
The history of medicine in America is full of examples of pioneering surgeons of African-American ancestry.
Dorothy Lavinia Brown
She is widely acknowledged as the first female surgeon of African-American ancestry from the Southeastern United States, whose training was championed by Matthew Walker, another surgical pioneer.
Lasalle D. Leffall
The first African-American president of both the American Cancer Society (1978) and the American College of Surgeons (1995).
Charles Drew
He pioneered techniques in blood product storage and was the first African-American surgeon selected to serve as an examiner on the American Board of Surgery.
These surgeons made it possible, through their example and mentoring of other surgeons, for organizations such as the Surgical Section of the National Medical Association and the Society of Black Academic Surgeons to exist today.
It is the intent of this new charitable organization, the Surgical Leaders Foundation, to honor their legacy by committing to create a more diverse surgical workforce and to foster opportunities for young people from under-represented minority populations to pursue careers in Surgery and the health professions.
We will accomplish this by supporting educational, mentoring, and outreach programs.
