Mary Mahoney: Breaking the Nursing Color Barrier

Mary Eliza Mahoney

Biography

Mary Eliza Mahoney was born May 7, 1845 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Smith, J, & Phelps, S, 1992) Mary Mahoney was the first African American professional nurse. She spent over 40 years as a private duty nurses going to sick people’s homes nursing them back to health. She was such a wonderful private duty nurse that after joining a nursing directory, Mary was called upon time after time by the families that hired her all over the country near and faraway. Mary Mahoney was a member of the Nurses Associated Alumnae of the United States and Canada now known as the American Nurses Association (ANA) since 1896. (Webster, Raymond B, 1999) She was also one of the first members of the National Association of Colored Graduate Nurses (NACGN) which was a minority nursing organizations that was focused on equality for African-American nurses comparable to that of non minority nurses. Mary was named chaplain of the organization and was later named a lifetime member. After her death on January 4, 1926 from breast cancer the National Association of Colored Graduates Nurses named an award in honor of Mary Eliza Mahoney, after the NACGN was disbanded in 1951 the American Nurses Association continued the Mary Eliza Mahoney award. (Webster, Raymond B, 1999)

Mary became the first African-American graduate nurse in 1879. (Smith, J, & Phelps, S, 1992) She contributed to organizations such as the American Nurses Association, the National Association of Colored Graduate Nurses, and was an active participant in the the Women's Suffrage Movement, becoming one of the first women to register vote to in Boston, Massachusetts. The issue closest to the heart of Mary Mahoney was equality of the African-American nurse with...

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...and stand up for what is right and what I believe in.

The most important thing that I have learned from Mary Mahoney is that I can do whatever I set my mind on doing no matter what obstacles by stand in my way because with bundles of courage and lots of handwork anything is possible. Learning about Mary Mahoney and her life I have a renewed faith that I can do anything in life that I can dream of doing. It may not be the easiest to follow your dreams, but it will be the best decision you have ever made.

References

Whitehead, D. K., Weiss, S. A., & Tappen, R. M. (2010). Essentials of nursing leadership and

management, (5th Ed). Philadelphia, PA: Davis.

Smith, J, & Phelps, S (1992). Notable Black American Women, (1st Ed). Detroit, MI: Gale

Webster, Raymond B (1999). African American Firsts in Science & Technology, (1st Ed.) Farmington Hills, MI: Gale