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Mary Eliza Mahoney: The First African-American Nurse

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There were only a few jobs that African Americans could have during the 1800s and 1900s. However, many African Americans were trying to enter higher working positions and many became the first in their profession. Mary Eliza Mahoney, for example, became the first African American nurse and was a role model for nurses all over the world. She was able to achieve her goals and so much more by not caring what people thought of her, being determined, and being dedicated to what she wanted to do. Mary Eliza Mahoney was born on May 7th, 1845 in Boston, Massachusetts. Her parents were freed slaves from North Carolina and they moved north to try to get away from the Civil War that was about to start. Mary was the oldest of their three children and she was one of the first to attend Phillips School in Boston when it integrated in 1855. During her teenage years, she knew that she wanted to be a nurse, so she worked at the New England Hospital for …show more content…
In 1920, she was also one of the first women to vote after the 19th Amendment was ratified. Years later, Mary Eliza Mahoney died on January 4th, 1926 after a three year battle with breast cancer. She was eighty years old. I find Mary Eliza Mahoney inspiring because she ignored the fact that many African Americans had low or non-paying jobs and she was determined to finish the nursing program, even when such a small number of people were able to graduate from it. She stood up for what she believed in, such as African American and women’s rights, and she liked helping with the community, like the Howard Orphan Asylum for Black Children. I believe that she wasn’t only a role model for nurses, but for everyday society with determination, hope, dedication, and high

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