In addition to being American Heart Month and National Children’s Dental Health Month, February is also Black History Month! The students and staff at Ross Medical Education Center in Ann Arbor, Michigan believe that remembering the important contributions made by black Americans throughout history is essential. That’s why they decided to celebrate Black History Month on campus. Part of their observance included learning about some noteworthy contributors in the healthcare field and each program decorating their windows with photos and works from inspirational American heroes.
The students in the Ann Arbor Dental Assistant program chose the first African American male and female dentists. According to www.blackpast.org, Robert Tanner Freeman was the first professionally trained black dentist in the United States. After being born to slaves, he finally entered Harvard School of Dental Medicine just four years after the end of the Civil War. As a young boy, Robert had become interested in dentistry after meeting Henry Bliss Noble, a white dentist that practiced in Washington, D.C. He then had the opportunity to work as an apprentice to Dr. Noble throughout his youth and adolescence.
During this time, Dr. Noble always encouraged him to apply to dental colleges. After being rejected by multiple schools, he finally was accepted and graduated from Harvard School of Dental Medicine. After graduating in 1869 with classmate George Franklin Grant, the other first black student to enter the school, Dr. Freeman returned to Washington, D.C. and opened his own practice. He spent his life committed to mentoring black youth that were interested in the healthcare field.
When researching information about the first black woman dentist, Dental Assistant Instructor Sarah Ledesma indicated how surprised the students were to learn that “women were even admitted to dental school that long ago.” Ida Gray Nelson Rollins was the first African American woman dentist. She was born in Tennessee in 1867. After being orphaned when her mother died, she was raised by her aunt and moved to Ohio. As a teenager, she had the opportunity to work in the dental office of Jonathan and William Taft.
Students learned that the part-time job in the dental office was instrumental in Ida’s desire to become a dentist. Her boss, Jonathan Taft, was the Dean of the Ohio College of Dentistry. Later, when he became the first dean of the Dental College at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, he was a strong advocate for the admission of women to the school. Five years later, the first woman, and his former employee, was enrolled.
The apprenticeship provided by Dr. Taft was the motivation that Ida Rollins needed to become the first African American woman to graduate from a dental school. Her experience in Dr. Taft’s office for all those years helped her as she student and passed the entrance exam. After graduating, in 1890, she became the first female African American dentist in the United States. One Dental Assistant student, Hibo Ahmed, shared, “I am proud that it was the University of Michigan that first allowed women to study dentistry.”
The whole campus was involved, showcasing black Americans from Will Smith to the Reverend Doctor Martin Luther King, Jr. Even Mrs. Ross, Assistant Campus Director of Education, got in on the fun with her window depicting influential educators.