1 00:00:05,200 --> 00:00:07,600 Speaker 1: Hey, this is Annie and Samantha and welcome to Stephan. 2 00:00:07,640 --> 00:00:09,080 Speaker 1: Never told you protection of iHeartRadio. 3 00:00:18,680 --> 00:00:22,080 Speaker 2: And today it is time for another edition of Female First, 4 00:00:22,079 --> 00:00:24,639 Speaker 2: which means we are once again so happy to be 5 00:00:24,720 --> 00:00:26,240 Speaker 2: joined by the amazing. 6 00:00:25,880 --> 00:00:30,080 Speaker 1: The wonderful, and tired today. I'm so welcome Eve. 7 00:00:32,120 --> 00:00:36,760 Speaker 3: I appreciate the transparency. I'm sure a lot of other 8 00:00:36,800 --> 00:00:37,600 Speaker 3: people can relate. 9 00:00:37,800 --> 00:00:41,320 Speaker 1: So yes, yes, And I know we've talked about this before. 10 00:00:42,760 --> 00:00:44,080 Speaker 1: Are you a napper? Do you have? 11 00:00:44,320 --> 00:00:47,480 Speaker 3: What do you do when you're tired? Am I a napper? 12 00:00:47,920 --> 00:00:51,160 Speaker 3: Of course, I'm a napper. I'm going to I'm literally 13 00:00:51,159 --> 00:00:52,440 Speaker 3: going to take a nap after this, I'm going to 14 00:00:52,520 --> 00:00:54,160 Speaker 3: take a nap. I'm probably going to clean and then 15 00:00:54,200 --> 00:00:56,200 Speaker 3: go to the gym. But like today is the most 16 00:00:56,240 --> 00:00:57,959 Speaker 3: definite I need. 17 00:00:57,800 --> 00:00:58,480 Speaker 4: A nap day. 18 00:00:59,240 --> 00:01:01,800 Speaker 3: I try to be dis plan with my naps, Like 19 00:01:02,320 --> 00:01:05,720 Speaker 3: you know, they say twenty to thirty minutes, but I 20 00:01:05,800 --> 00:01:06,839 Speaker 3: sleep how. 21 00:01:06,720 --> 00:01:07,800 Speaker 4: My body tells me to sleep. 22 00:01:07,880 --> 00:01:11,720 Speaker 3: So if I have the capacity for it, if I 23 00:01:11,720 --> 00:01:13,440 Speaker 3: have the time for it, and I know I do, 24 00:01:13,560 --> 00:01:15,080 Speaker 3: like there's nothing I need to rush and get out 25 00:01:15,080 --> 00:01:17,360 Speaker 3: the door for afterwards, I'll take it. 26 00:01:17,440 --> 00:01:18,279 Speaker 4: I'll take it easy. 27 00:01:18,880 --> 00:01:22,160 Speaker 1: I look it as it comes. That's good. 28 00:01:22,200 --> 00:01:23,600 Speaker 2: I mean, that's a great way to be like in 29 00:01:23,680 --> 00:01:27,880 Speaker 2: touch with your body that I think a lot of us. 30 00:01:27,920 --> 00:01:29,840 Speaker 2: I know I am not, so I think that's a 31 00:01:29,959 --> 00:01:36,400 Speaker 2: very healthy outlooky thank you, Yes, yes, How have you been? 32 00:01:36,520 --> 00:01:38,440 Speaker 1: Other than that, I've been. 33 00:01:38,360 --> 00:01:39,200 Speaker 4: Good, honestly. 34 00:01:39,360 --> 00:01:41,679 Speaker 3: I know a lot of people are melting in this 35 00:01:41,800 --> 00:01:45,959 Speaker 3: heat that we're having here, but I love it. 36 00:01:46,000 --> 00:01:48,280 Speaker 4: I've been. I've been outside quite a bit. I've been. 37 00:01:50,000 --> 00:01:54,160 Speaker 3: Burning, actually physically getting a tan because I'm burning in 38 00:01:54,200 --> 00:01:58,720 Speaker 3: the sun, but not that burning. Notwithstanding, I'm still having 39 00:01:58,760 --> 00:01:59,760 Speaker 3: a good time in the sunlight. 40 00:01:59,800 --> 00:02:01,080 Speaker 4: So I think i've been. 41 00:02:01,320 --> 00:02:03,760 Speaker 3: I've been pretty good for the most part. Been to 42 00:02:03,760 --> 00:02:07,160 Speaker 3: the beach recently. Been nice, nice, and a lot of water, 43 00:02:07,200 --> 00:02:09,359 Speaker 3: a lot more than I normally am. I'm really connecting 44 00:02:09,360 --> 00:02:12,240 Speaker 3: with water in this moment and that feels good. 45 00:02:12,320 --> 00:02:13,799 Speaker 4: So cooling off a little bit. 46 00:02:14,320 --> 00:02:18,640 Speaker 1: Yeah. Yeah, that's funny because I have avoided the heat 47 00:02:19,280 --> 00:02:23,560 Speaker 1: so hard. It is very, very very hot. 48 00:02:23,880 --> 00:02:28,120 Speaker 2: Yeah, and I'm also I too, went to the beach recently, 49 00:02:28,160 --> 00:02:29,440 Speaker 2: but I hardly ever get in the water. 50 00:02:29,480 --> 00:02:30,799 Speaker 1: I just kind of look at it. But I do 51 00:02:30,919 --> 00:02:33,239 Speaker 1: love looking at it and hearing the sound of it. 52 00:02:34,080 --> 00:02:36,519 Speaker 4: Oh, did you guys not do like giant float times? 53 00:02:37,360 --> 00:02:38,160 Speaker 4: What's the fun time? 54 00:02:38,440 --> 00:02:40,520 Speaker 1: Gosh, Oh my gosh. 55 00:02:40,560 --> 00:02:43,200 Speaker 2: So I have a friend, she's been on the show 56 00:02:43,200 --> 00:02:46,200 Speaker 2: and she's actually she's a nurse. So oh, I'm sure 57 00:02:46,200 --> 00:02:48,760 Speaker 2: she'll listen to this episode. She's she's one of my 58 00:02:48,880 --> 00:02:51,359 Speaker 2: good friends that listens. I don't shame anyone who doesn't, 59 00:02:51,639 --> 00:02:58,400 Speaker 2: but she does. You should, no, no, no, But she 60 00:02:58,400 --> 00:03:02,359 Speaker 2: she just somebody who likes to like do things up, 61 00:03:02,639 --> 00:03:06,240 Speaker 2: I guess, And part of that is she also likes. 62 00:03:06,160 --> 00:03:07,000 Speaker 1: To find good deals. 63 00:03:07,840 --> 00:03:11,440 Speaker 2: And that means over the years we've accumulated a lot 64 00:03:11,480 --> 00:03:17,760 Speaker 2: of really are egregious that floats, big floats, and we 65 00:03:17,840 --> 00:03:21,200 Speaker 2: tie them together and we make a float island and 66 00:03:21,240 --> 00:03:22,720 Speaker 2: we make all the kids jealous. 67 00:03:23,639 --> 00:03:25,160 Speaker 1: Cool floats. 68 00:03:25,440 --> 00:03:28,920 Speaker 2: Yeah, but over the years we've kind of got more 69 00:03:28,960 --> 00:03:30,679 Speaker 2: and more tired, I would say. 70 00:03:31,600 --> 00:03:32,800 Speaker 1: Not as much gumption. 71 00:03:33,480 --> 00:03:38,000 Speaker 2: So I have a float and a it's under some 72 00:03:38,160 --> 00:03:40,480 Speaker 2: boxes and that was enough to stop me. 73 00:03:40,680 --> 00:03:44,080 Speaker 1: You've smell was enough. I was like, no floats this year. 74 00:03:44,520 --> 00:03:47,040 Speaker 4: Yeah. 75 00:03:47,280 --> 00:03:51,200 Speaker 1: We did a bit of effort. Yeah yeah, but we 76 00:03:51,240 --> 00:03:54,600 Speaker 1: had a great time anyway. I never do well with floats. 77 00:03:54,840 --> 00:03:58,400 Speaker 1: I like it. We've got a cat a cat cameo, Yeah, 78 00:03:58,400 --> 00:03:59,960 Speaker 1: the first time, I didn't know you had a cat. 79 00:04:00,120 --> 00:04:01,760 Speaker 4: I just got shocked by that. I was like, wait, 80 00:04:02,200 --> 00:04:02,920 Speaker 4: what is that. 81 00:04:03,160 --> 00:04:05,320 Speaker 3: I don't want to distract she just she loves sitting 82 00:04:05,320 --> 00:04:07,880 Speaker 3: on me while I'm here. Yeah, I'm just taking care 83 00:04:07,920 --> 00:04:09,720 Speaker 3: of her for a little over a month now. 84 00:04:09,800 --> 00:04:18,320 Speaker 4: Her name is really maybe she owns me. 85 00:04:19,839 --> 00:04:25,120 Speaker 3: Look at that, listeners, she's just staring up at Eves like, Hey, 86 00:04:25,520 --> 00:04:26,839 Speaker 3: I should live here forever. 87 00:04:28,960 --> 00:04:33,160 Speaker 1: Yes, yes, well, welcome to. 88 00:04:36,760 --> 00:04:37,000 Speaker 3: Yes. 89 00:04:37,920 --> 00:04:40,839 Speaker 1: But who did you bring for us today, Eaves? 90 00:04:41,279 --> 00:04:45,880 Speaker 3: Today we're talking about Mary Eliza Mahoney. So speaking of nurses, 91 00:04:46,760 --> 00:04:51,520 Speaker 3: she was the first black American professional nurse. Definitely not 92 00:04:51,600 --> 00:04:55,640 Speaker 3: the first black nurse in the US, though, So I 93 00:04:55,760 --> 00:04:57,360 Speaker 3: just want to point that out that there are a 94 00:04:57,400 --> 00:04:59,640 Speaker 3: lot of people who were doing that kind of work 95 00:04:59,680 --> 00:05:04,360 Speaker 3: before or this whole institutionalize what we would consider professional 96 00:05:04,920 --> 00:05:08,360 Speaker 3: or trained thing happened. That knowledge was being passed down 97 00:05:08,360 --> 00:05:10,960 Speaker 3: in other ways, and black people were barred for some 98 00:05:11,040 --> 00:05:13,279 Speaker 3: of those institutions. And also these were early days of 99 00:05:13,360 --> 00:05:16,440 Speaker 3: nursing in general. So doesn't it change the fact that 100 00:05:16,520 --> 00:05:19,360 Speaker 3: Mary Eliza Mahoney was a pioneer in the field and 101 00:05:19,440 --> 00:05:23,840 Speaker 3: she was really instrumental in the beginnings of black people 102 00:05:23,960 --> 00:05:28,880 Speaker 3: being involved in nursing in institutional ways and in ways 103 00:05:28,920 --> 00:05:31,800 Speaker 3: where they were receiving formal training. So yeah, and we've 104 00:05:31,800 --> 00:05:33,440 Speaker 3: also I would just like to call out to that 105 00:05:33,640 --> 00:05:39,320 Speaker 3: previous episode of Female First. We talked about Rebecca Lee Crumpler, 106 00:05:39,960 --> 00:05:43,000 Speaker 3: who was also she was the first black female physician 107 00:05:43,040 --> 00:05:47,200 Speaker 3: in the US. So if you're interested in medical history 108 00:05:47,240 --> 00:05:49,120 Speaker 3: of first in the United States, then you can go 109 00:05:49,160 --> 00:05:50,400 Speaker 3: back and listen to that episode. 110 00:05:50,400 --> 00:05:50,599 Speaker 4: Two. 111 00:05:51,160 --> 00:05:54,240 Speaker 1: Yes, but okay, should we get into some history. 112 00:05:54,880 --> 00:05:58,920 Speaker 3: Yeah, So, Mary Eliza Mahoney was born in eighteen forty 113 00:05:58,960 --> 00:06:04,359 Speaker 3: five in Massachusett. Her exact birthday is unknown. We often 114 00:06:04,400 --> 00:06:07,279 Speaker 3: see this happen in these female First stories. Some sources 115 00:06:07,279 --> 00:06:12,120 Speaker 3: say that it's May seventh, eighteen forty five, but generally, 116 00:06:12,279 --> 00:06:15,479 Speaker 3: personal details about her life and her family history aren't 117 00:06:15,560 --> 00:06:19,400 Speaker 3: super well recorded, although she did have descendants that came 118 00:06:19,440 --> 00:06:22,440 Speaker 3: from some of her siblings who were able to pass 119 00:06:22,520 --> 00:06:24,440 Speaker 3: down some knowledge as well, and there are also people 120 00:06:24,440 --> 00:06:27,240 Speaker 3: who have written about her knowledge through what we do 121 00:06:27,360 --> 00:06:30,720 Speaker 3: know that was recorded and orally passed down. But either way, 122 00:06:30,839 --> 00:06:33,320 Speaker 3: her parents were thought to have been enslaved before they 123 00:06:33,360 --> 00:06:36,280 Speaker 3: were emancipated and they may have previously lived in North 124 00:06:36,320 --> 00:06:39,600 Speaker 3: Carolina but then moved to Boston, and she had three 125 00:06:39,680 --> 00:06:42,720 Speaker 3: younger siblings that one of them died as a child. 126 00:06:42,800 --> 00:06:45,919 Speaker 3: So she went to Phillips School in Boston and she 127 00:06:46,040 --> 00:06:49,599 Speaker 3: started first grade when she was ten years old. This 128 00:06:49,920 --> 00:06:53,760 Speaker 3: was one of the first integrated public schools in Boston, 129 00:06:54,200 --> 00:07:07,760 Speaker 3: and she went there up until the fourth grade. It 130 00:07:07,800 --> 00:07:11,400 Speaker 3: is not completely clear how she got interested in nursing, 131 00:07:11,920 --> 00:07:14,600 Speaker 3: Like I said, a part of the where there are 132 00:07:14,640 --> 00:07:16,280 Speaker 3: a lot of gaps in the history that we know 133 00:07:16,320 --> 00:07:19,800 Speaker 3: about her do come in her earlier life, in her childhood, 134 00:07:20,200 --> 00:07:23,400 Speaker 3: and also in her family history. But when she was 135 00:07:23,440 --> 00:07:26,960 Speaker 3: a teenager, she began working at the New England Hospital 136 00:07:27,000 --> 00:07:31,120 Speaker 3: for Women and Children, and this is where her nursing 137 00:07:31,160 --> 00:07:34,800 Speaker 3: story starts really, so regardless of how she received her 138 00:07:35,280 --> 00:07:40,800 Speaker 3: psychological or personal interest in nursing itself, she was already 139 00:07:41,120 --> 00:07:44,880 Speaker 3: around nursing a lot. The hospital was founded in eighteen 140 00:07:44,920 --> 00:07:47,120 Speaker 3: sixty two and it was the first one in Boston 141 00:07:47,200 --> 00:07:50,760 Speaker 3: that was run by women's physicians and surgeons. So it 142 00:07:50,800 --> 00:07:54,640 Speaker 3: is what it sounds like by women for women's situation 143 00:07:55,560 --> 00:07:58,160 Speaker 3: and pretty self explanatory. 144 00:07:58,520 --> 00:08:00,720 Speaker 4: And all the physicians who were full time staff here 145 00:08:00,720 --> 00:08:02,880 Speaker 4: were women, and there were women. 146 00:08:02,640 --> 00:08:06,280 Speaker 3: And children patients, and at the time women were barred 147 00:08:06,280 --> 00:08:10,440 Speaker 3: from being on hospital staff and going to medical schools 148 00:08:10,440 --> 00:08:15,520 Speaker 3: and participating in professional societies. But this establishment allowed women 149 00:08:15,560 --> 00:08:18,160 Speaker 3: to get training in line with the kind that was 150 00:08:18,320 --> 00:08:22,640 Speaker 3: available to men. So in eighteen sixty three, it follows 151 00:08:22,800 --> 00:08:25,440 Speaker 3: that it became the first institution in the United States 152 00:08:25,440 --> 00:08:31,280 Speaker 3: to offer formal and professional nursing training the first. This 153 00:08:31,440 --> 00:08:34,559 Speaker 3: is another first, not Mary Eliza Mahony's first, but another 154 00:08:34,559 --> 00:08:37,560 Speaker 3: first that happened at the New England Hospital. The first 155 00:08:37,600 --> 00:08:40,840 Speaker 3: institutionally trained nurse in the US graduated from there in 156 00:08:40,880 --> 00:08:44,440 Speaker 3: eighteen seventy three, and that was Linda Richards. That is 157 00:08:44,480 --> 00:08:47,079 Speaker 3: also part of the story leading up to Mary Eliza 158 00:08:47,160 --> 00:08:51,199 Speaker 3: Mahoney's first. Now the hospital is called the Demo Community 159 00:08:51,400 --> 00:08:56,040 Speaker 3: Health Center, but anyway, there is a long history of 160 00:08:56,280 --> 00:09:00,000 Speaker 3: Black women acting as medical caregivers for their family members, 161 00:09:00,960 --> 00:09:04,679 Speaker 3: for community members, for their enslavers, and for their employers 162 00:09:04,720 --> 00:09:09,240 Speaker 3: in so many different ways. And oftentimes that medical caregiving 163 00:09:09,320 --> 00:09:14,960 Speaker 3: role was woven into other roles of domestic work in 164 00:09:15,000 --> 00:09:19,280 Speaker 3: domestic servitude, so those roles kind of combined in ways. 165 00:09:19,760 --> 00:09:21,360 Speaker 4: And when Mahoney was coming up. 166 00:09:21,760 --> 00:09:25,320 Speaker 3: Yes, I think a lot of people will associate Boston 167 00:09:25,360 --> 00:09:28,319 Speaker 3: with being an abolitionist hot spot, but of course there 168 00:09:28,360 --> 00:09:32,959 Speaker 3: was still segregation and racism, and according to the biography 169 00:09:33,000 --> 00:09:35,960 Speaker 3: Mary Eliza Mahoney and the Legacy of African American nurses, 170 00:09:36,520 --> 00:09:39,599 Speaker 3: only around two thousand of the nearly one hundred and 171 00:09:39,640 --> 00:09:43,840 Speaker 3: fifteen thousand people in Boston when Mahoney was born were black. 172 00:09:44,240 --> 00:09:48,600 Speaker 3: So black women did work as nurses and private homes, 173 00:09:49,080 --> 00:09:53,080 Speaker 3: but that role was integrated into their other duties as 174 00:09:53,160 --> 00:09:57,240 Speaker 3: domestic workers. Mahoney herself was involved in that history, so 175 00:09:57,280 --> 00:10:00,320 Speaker 3: she started working as a nurse in people's home homes 176 00:10:00,480 --> 00:10:05,640 Speaker 3: around eighteen sixty five. But before the Civil War there 177 00:10:05,760 --> 00:10:10,679 Speaker 3: wasn't institutional medical training for black women. Of course, we 178 00:10:10,720 --> 00:10:13,160 Speaker 3: know what we are. Probably a lot of your listeners 179 00:10:13,200 --> 00:10:16,600 Speaker 3: are probably familiar with the history of nursing and how 180 00:10:16,600 --> 00:10:19,439 Speaker 3: that was wrapped up in the Civil War in Florence Nightingale, 181 00:10:19,520 --> 00:10:21,480 Speaker 3: and how clear the Civil War made it that there 182 00:10:21,559 --> 00:10:25,920 Speaker 3: was a need for nurses in having a higher standard 183 00:10:25,960 --> 00:10:30,760 Speaker 3: of medical training. So during Mahoney's time working at the 184 00:10:30,760 --> 00:10:34,440 Speaker 3: New England Hospital for Women and Children, she cleaned, she cooked, 185 00:10:34,440 --> 00:10:37,080 Speaker 3: she did laundry and she sometimes helped the nurses do 186 00:10:37,120 --> 00:10:40,280 Speaker 3: their work, but she wasn't really involved in the nursing 187 00:10:40,360 --> 00:10:45,680 Speaker 3: side yet. Over years past, Mary Eliza Mahoney continued to 188 00:10:45,679 --> 00:10:48,319 Speaker 3: do those other kinds of work at the hospital, and 189 00:10:48,440 --> 00:10:52,400 Speaker 3: during that time, the hospital's school program advanced a lot 190 00:10:52,559 --> 00:10:55,520 Speaker 3: from the point when it first opened. So at first, 191 00:10:55,840 --> 00:10:58,840 Speaker 3: students only got like six months of training. Not many 192 00:10:58,880 --> 00:11:03,080 Speaker 3: women apply and not many people graduated from the program 193 00:11:03,080 --> 00:11:06,040 Speaker 3: in its first couple of years. But by the time 194 00:11:06,080 --> 00:11:10,600 Speaker 3: Mahony enrolled, the program was about a year long, and 195 00:11:10,679 --> 00:11:14,920 Speaker 3: students were studying nursing in the medical, surgical and maternity wards, 196 00:11:14,960 --> 00:11:17,880 Speaker 3: and they were studying night nursing, and the students who 197 00:11:17,880 --> 00:11:23,640 Speaker 3: graduated got certificates. So the hospital's charter only allowed one 198 00:11:23,679 --> 00:11:28,680 Speaker 3: black student and one Jewish student to be accepted each year. Also, 199 00:11:29,040 --> 00:11:34,000 Speaker 3: people training as nurses there were reportedly treated kind of 200 00:11:34,080 --> 00:11:36,920 Speaker 3: as lesser than the people who were training to become 201 00:11:37,000 --> 00:11:41,760 Speaker 3: doctors there, and the doctors in training got more attention 202 00:11:41,960 --> 00:11:47,200 Speaker 3: and higher priority. There is mention of the people who 203 00:11:47,240 --> 00:11:50,959 Speaker 3: were coming in to train as nurses being called pupils 204 00:11:51,440 --> 00:11:53,240 Speaker 3: versus the people who were coming in to be trained 205 00:11:53,240 --> 00:11:57,120 Speaker 3: as doctors being called students. Since the so there is 206 00:11:57,160 --> 00:12:01,439 Speaker 3: some sense of superiority or hierarchy in the way that 207 00:12:01,600 --> 00:12:04,320 Speaker 3: nurses were treated and how they were viewed at the 208 00:12:04,320 --> 00:12:09,360 Speaker 3: hospital versus the people who were training to become doctors. 209 00:12:09,679 --> 00:12:13,760 Speaker 3: But Mahoney applied to the hospital's nursing program and at 210 00:12:13,760 --> 00:12:17,360 Speaker 3: this time she was around thirty three years old, and 211 00:12:17,400 --> 00:12:21,000 Speaker 3: that made her older than the average applicant because that 212 00:12:21,800 --> 00:12:23,800 Speaker 3: the school did give a cap of I think it 213 00:12:23,840 --> 00:12:27,079 Speaker 3: was thirty one years old. But it's thought that because 214 00:12:27,120 --> 00:12:30,720 Speaker 3: she was already familiar with the people who were working 215 00:12:30,720 --> 00:12:33,239 Speaker 3: at the hospital, that she was still and she was qualified. 216 00:12:33,280 --> 00:12:36,120 Speaker 3: Of course, she had the experience to be able to 217 00:12:36,120 --> 00:12:39,360 Speaker 3: get into the school that she was eligible and she 218 00:12:39,440 --> 00:12:42,120 Speaker 3: got in. So this was eighteen seventy eight. At this point, 219 00:12:42,160 --> 00:12:46,040 Speaker 3: Mahony was admitted to a sixteen month nurse training program 220 00:12:46,080 --> 00:12:48,720 Speaker 3: at the hospital and that made one of her first 221 00:12:48,800 --> 00:12:51,600 Speaker 3: That made her the program's first black nursing student, so 222 00:12:51,760 --> 00:12:54,200 Speaker 3: as no other black woman had been admitted to the 223 00:12:54,240 --> 00:12:57,400 Speaker 3: program before. It was also speculated that a woman who 224 00:12:57,440 --> 00:13:00,960 Speaker 3: was high up at the hospital named Edna Dowch was 225 00:13:01,000 --> 00:13:03,120 Speaker 3: the one who was able to help influence the people 226 00:13:03,120 --> 00:13:07,840 Speaker 3: who were admitting the students to accept her. So once 227 00:13:07,840 --> 00:13:10,680 Speaker 3: she got into the program, it was pretty rigorous. They 228 00:13:10,760 --> 00:13:14,560 Speaker 3: worked from five thirty am to nine thirty pm daily. 229 00:13:15,120 --> 00:13:18,320 Speaker 3: They were paid one to four dollars per week quote 230 00:13:18,360 --> 00:13:21,559 Speaker 3: after the first fortnight, according to the actual value of 231 00:13:21,600 --> 00:13:25,360 Speaker 3: their service to the hospital, which sounds very vague and 232 00:13:25,679 --> 00:13:28,920 Speaker 3: like there's a lot of potential for problems there not 233 00:13:29,080 --> 00:13:31,400 Speaker 3: used to mention all the other issues of racism and 234 00:13:31,400 --> 00:13:35,760 Speaker 3: discrimination that can create these kind of arbitrary standards of 235 00:13:35,760 --> 00:13:38,160 Speaker 3: things being applied from one person to the next. 236 00:13:38,920 --> 00:13:40,520 Speaker 4: But hey, I wasn't there. 237 00:13:40,679 --> 00:13:43,000 Speaker 3: I don't know much else about how that role was 238 00:13:43,040 --> 00:13:46,160 Speaker 3: actually applied to people. But it wasn't a lot of money. 239 00:13:46,200 --> 00:13:48,200 Speaker 3: Four dollars then it's about one hundred and twenty two 240 00:13:48,240 --> 00:13:50,439 Speaker 3: dollars today, and that was. 241 00:13:50,480 --> 00:13:52,720 Speaker 4: The top value that they gave. 242 00:13:53,040 --> 00:13:55,760 Speaker 3: I can't say how those numbers were distributed among people 243 00:13:55,760 --> 00:13:58,800 Speaker 3: and how often they gave one amount over the other. 244 00:13:59,679 --> 00:14:02,600 Speaker 3: But each nurse was in charge of award which had 245 00:14:02,679 --> 00:14:06,440 Speaker 3: six beds in it. And apparently Mahoney never missed a 246 00:14:06,480 --> 00:14:12,760 Speaker 3: day of her program, and even Mahoney's sister later applied 247 00:14:13,000 --> 00:14:15,720 Speaker 3: and was accepted to the program. But there was a 248 00:14:15,800 --> 00:14:18,960 Speaker 3: question that was raised here in looking back at the 249 00:14:19,040 --> 00:14:22,800 Speaker 3: history of the students who attended during Mahoney herself and 250 00:14:22,880 --> 00:14:25,640 Speaker 3: during the other students who were there during Mahony's time 251 00:14:25,880 --> 00:14:29,320 Speaker 3: of were nursing students getting an education or were they 252 00:14:29,400 --> 00:14:33,080 Speaker 3: just cheap labor and a lot of value judgments around that, 253 00:14:33,320 --> 00:14:35,840 Speaker 3: But it is a sort of question that has come 254 00:14:35,960 --> 00:14:38,520 Speaker 3: up in that history because they were being paid these 255 00:14:38,560 --> 00:14:44,000 Speaker 3: low amounts and other people who had more training weren't 256 00:14:44,040 --> 00:14:47,640 Speaker 3: the ones who were providing the nursing at the hospital. 257 00:14:47,680 --> 00:14:51,040 Speaker 3: Because these students who were being paid very low amounts 258 00:14:51,040 --> 00:14:53,360 Speaker 3: were the ones who were providing the nurses. So it's 259 00:14:53,400 --> 00:14:55,400 Speaker 3: kind of stripping away their ability to be able to 260 00:14:55,440 --> 00:14:58,040 Speaker 3: work with already professionally trained nurses. 261 00:15:00,120 --> 00:15:00,360 Speaker 4: Yeah. 262 00:15:00,400 --> 00:15:05,160 Speaker 3: So in August first, eighteen seventy nine, Mahony graduated and 263 00:15:05,320 --> 00:15:07,280 Speaker 3: this made her the first black person in the United 264 00:15:07,320 --> 00:15:12,440 Speaker 3: States to become a professional nurse. And the New England 265 00:15:12,440 --> 00:15:16,880 Speaker 3: Hospital continued to accept qualify black students, but plenty of 266 00:15:16,920 --> 00:15:22,280 Speaker 3: other nursing schools barred black students from enrolling. Most of 267 00:15:22,320 --> 00:15:26,680 Speaker 3: the people who graduated worked for families. And in that 268 00:15:26,720 --> 00:15:30,520 Speaker 3: book that I mentioned earlier, that biography Mary Eliza Mahoney 269 00:15:30,560 --> 00:15:35,120 Speaker 3: and the legacy of African American nurses. The author says, 270 00:15:35,240 --> 00:15:38,280 Speaker 3: quote the larger hospitals did not seem to have a 271 00:15:38,400 --> 00:15:41,560 Speaker 3: need for nurses when they used student nurses to do 272 00:15:42,160 --> 00:15:48,080 Speaker 3: most of the labor in return for minimum wages. So 273 00:15:48,440 --> 00:15:52,920 Speaker 3: after graduating, Mahoney went back to working as a nurse 274 00:15:53,000 --> 00:15:55,640 Speaker 3: in private homes. Now with this new training that she had. 275 00:15:56,600 --> 00:15:58,680 Speaker 3: Most of the people, as was the case in so 276 00:15:58,800 --> 00:16:01,360 Speaker 3: many for so many different people that she worked for, 277 00:16:01,400 --> 00:16:04,960 Speaker 3: were wealthy white folks. She cared for pregnant women, mothers, 278 00:16:04,960 --> 00:16:07,480 Speaker 3: and newborns, and a lot of her work was in 279 00:16:07,520 --> 00:16:10,680 Speaker 3: New Jersey, but she did travel elsewhere on the East 280 00:16:10,680 --> 00:16:13,240 Speaker 3: Coast part of her work when she had patients who 281 00:16:13,280 --> 00:16:16,800 Speaker 3: she needed to travel for. At first, she charged about 282 00:16:16,800 --> 00:16:19,520 Speaker 3: a dollar fifty a day as a private nurse, which 283 00:16:19,600 --> 00:16:22,880 Speaker 3: is about forty five dollars today, but by eighteen ninety 284 00:16:22,920 --> 00:16:25,360 Speaker 3: two she had raised her rate to two dollars and 285 00:16:25,360 --> 00:16:30,360 Speaker 3: fifty cents per day. She registered with a nursing directory 286 00:16:30,400 --> 00:16:33,200 Speaker 3: that the Massachusetts Medical Library kept, and she was the 287 00:16:33,200 --> 00:16:35,480 Speaker 3: first black person to do so. So we don't have 288 00:16:35,520 --> 00:16:40,400 Speaker 3: a huge history of how it worked in her day today. 289 00:16:40,520 --> 00:16:42,640 Speaker 3: Over those decades that she was working as a private 290 00:16:42,720 --> 00:16:45,920 Speaker 3: nurse of a lot, Like, we don't have a ton 291 00:16:45,960 --> 00:16:49,800 Speaker 3: of knowledge about what the people who she was working 292 00:16:49,840 --> 00:16:52,960 Speaker 3: for had to say about her, but there are a few. 293 00:16:52,720 --> 00:16:53,680 Speaker 4: Comments that people said. 294 00:16:53,720 --> 00:16:56,000 Speaker 3: We know that people did refer to her as an 295 00:16:56,000 --> 00:17:00,520 Speaker 3: excellent nurse because this directory allowed nurses to offer their 296 00:17:00,560 --> 00:17:04,680 Speaker 3: services to private employers, and it also kept her references 297 00:17:05,160 --> 00:17:10,080 Speaker 3: for potential employers, and there were people who commented on 298 00:17:10,440 --> 00:17:13,440 Speaker 3: her abilities and her skills and proficiency as a nurse 299 00:17:13,520 --> 00:17:15,600 Speaker 3: in their homes. And also she was kind of like 300 00:17:15,800 --> 00:17:18,560 Speaker 3: she was known around town, so there was a little 301 00:17:18,560 --> 00:17:20,600 Speaker 3: bit of oh, yeah, we've heard she's a good nurse 302 00:17:21,359 --> 00:17:24,600 Speaker 3: going on. So that is what we do know about 303 00:17:24,720 --> 00:17:28,840 Speaker 3: her skill as a nurse in private settings. She lived 304 00:17:28,920 --> 00:17:33,840 Speaker 3: along in Roxbury, and she was religious and she attended church. 305 00:17:34,320 --> 00:17:36,640 Speaker 3: For a little bit of her personal life, it's also 306 00:17:36,840 --> 00:17:40,119 Speaker 3: like in terms of her physicality, she's described as being 307 00:17:40,400 --> 00:17:45,240 Speaker 3: very petite, around five feet and pretty small. 308 00:17:45,280 --> 00:17:47,200 Speaker 4: But yeah, so that's what we know. 309 00:17:47,240 --> 00:17:50,040 Speaker 3: About her nursing career and a little bit about her 310 00:17:50,040 --> 00:17:54,760 Speaker 3: personal life and getting into her later life. She also 311 00:17:55,440 --> 00:17:58,200 Speaker 3: was a person who, of course she was a pioneer 312 00:17:58,200 --> 00:18:02,360 Speaker 3: in her own way and recognized that and used her 313 00:18:02,440 --> 00:18:05,960 Speaker 3: status and her knowledge to be able to give back 314 00:18:06,040 --> 00:18:08,600 Speaker 3: to others, and she did that in one way through 315 00:18:08,600 --> 00:18:13,600 Speaker 3: the National Association of Colored Graduate Nurses that formed in 316 00:18:13,680 --> 00:18:16,959 Speaker 3: nineteen oh eight, and that organization was formed as a 317 00:18:17,000 --> 00:18:21,960 Speaker 3: response to the employment discrimination that these nurses faced, the 318 00:18:22,000 --> 00:18:27,160 Speaker 3: discrepancies that they faced, the lower quality of training, lower 319 00:18:27,160 --> 00:18:30,200 Speaker 3: standards of training, and of course the racism that black 320 00:18:30,280 --> 00:18:34,040 Speaker 3: nurses faced at the time. And Mahoney was part of 321 00:18:34,119 --> 00:18:39,480 Speaker 3: the early years of this association. Not long after it formed, 322 00:18:39,480 --> 00:18:42,280 Speaker 3: she got lifetime membership status with it and she was 323 00:18:42,280 --> 00:18:46,440 Speaker 3: elected to be as chaplain. She also, in her later 324 00:18:46,520 --> 00:18:51,080 Speaker 3: years ran the Howard Colored Orphan Asylum in Brooklyn, and 325 00:18:51,400 --> 00:18:54,080 Speaker 3: she was one of the first women who was registered 326 00:18:54,119 --> 00:19:09,120 Speaker 3: to vote in Boston. And she ended up retiring in Massachusetts. 327 00:19:09,359 --> 00:19:13,199 Speaker 3: So she found out that she had breast cancer in 328 00:19:13,320 --> 00:19:17,280 Speaker 3: nineteen twenty three, and she continued to struggle with her 329 00:19:17,320 --> 00:19:20,119 Speaker 3: health because of the cancer, and she ended up dying 330 00:19:20,160 --> 00:19:25,119 Speaker 3: on January fourth in nineteen twenty six. Mary Eliza Mahoney 331 00:19:25,240 --> 00:19:31,880 Speaker 3: is buried in Woodlin Cemetery in Everett, Massachusetts, and there 332 00:19:31,920 --> 00:19:34,679 Speaker 3: is a monument that was dedicated to Mahoney at her 333 00:19:34,680 --> 00:19:38,480 Speaker 3: grave site. So her grave site was kind of overgrown. 334 00:19:38,560 --> 00:19:41,439 Speaker 3: At a point it was covered up, and then a 335 00:19:41,480 --> 00:19:45,160 Speaker 3: fundraising effort was led by a nurse named Helen Sullivan 336 00:19:45,359 --> 00:19:49,720 Speaker 3: Miller who had been researching Mahoney and wanted to honor 337 00:19:49,760 --> 00:19:56,240 Speaker 3: her through uplifting her grave site, so she decided to 338 00:19:56,280 --> 00:20:00,480 Speaker 3: have a headstone installed to recognize her as the first 339 00:20:00,480 --> 00:20:04,520 Speaker 3: professional black nurse in the United States. So Mahoney continued 340 00:20:04,560 --> 00:20:07,560 Speaker 3: to be honored in other ways as well. In nineteen 341 00:20:07,600 --> 00:20:11,200 Speaker 3: thirty six, the National Association of Color Graduate Nurses instituted 342 00:20:11,280 --> 00:20:14,520 Speaker 3: the Mary Eliza Mahony Award. The first recipient of that 343 00:20:14,600 --> 00:20:18,239 Speaker 3: award was Ada Belle Samuels Thoms, who herself has her 344 00:20:18,280 --> 00:20:21,440 Speaker 3: own history and pioneering in the nursing field, and later 345 00:20:21,560 --> 00:20:26,040 Speaker 3: the American Nurses Association adopted that award when the organizations merged. 346 00:20:26,600 --> 00:20:30,160 Speaker 3: So even though there isn't a lot of Mahony's recorded history, 347 00:20:30,600 --> 00:20:34,600 Speaker 3: there are people who have written down her legacy, her biography, 348 00:20:35,080 --> 00:20:38,199 Speaker 3: and honored her through awards and through making sure that 349 00:20:38,280 --> 00:20:41,199 Speaker 3: her grave site was taken care of and marked with 350 00:20:41,280 --> 00:20:43,280 Speaker 3: her name so that people who came by could know 351 00:20:43,320 --> 00:20:46,320 Speaker 3: the legacy and that she was buried there and could 352 00:20:46,440 --> 00:20:50,520 Speaker 3: visit and that is the story of Mary Eliza Mahoney, 353 00:20:50,760 --> 00:20:53,879 Speaker 3: early pioneer in the nursing field in the United States. 354 00:20:54,240 --> 00:20:57,520 Speaker 2: It's interesting to me that you brought this which was always, 355 00:20:57,560 --> 00:21:00,119 Speaker 2: as always so fascinating and so nuanced, and there is 356 00:21:00,200 --> 00:21:06,280 Speaker 2: just so much history and still ongoing battles for like 357 00:21:06,480 --> 00:21:10,200 Speaker 2: in the medical industry and for nurses. I speak as 358 00:21:10,280 --> 00:21:13,320 Speaker 2: my friend Marissa, you know, we've talked about it, but 359 00:21:13,720 --> 00:21:15,879 Speaker 2: Samantha and I and a bunch of listeners have been 360 00:21:16,320 --> 00:21:20,320 Speaker 2: talking about medicine and health a lot lately, and there's 361 00:21:20,320 --> 00:21:22,800 Speaker 2: been a lot of books published about it, and like 362 00:21:22,840 --> 00:21:27,800 Speaker 2: the power having a good nurse versus having a bad. 363 00:21:27,600 --> 00:21:30,080 Speaker 1: One is such a huge thing. 364 00:21:30,280 --> 00:21:33,399 Speaker 4: Yes, I don't even know what ever began with that. 365 00:21:33,720 --> 00:21:35,880 Speaker 1: Yes, so I love that. 366 00:21:36,680 --> 00:21:40,920 Speaker 2: You know, we don't have so much history, and as always, 367 00:21:41,240 --> 00:21:42,879 Speaker 2: thank you for bringing this, and thanks to all the 368 00:21:42,880 --> 00:21:45,320 Speaker 2: people who have put in the work. But from what 369 00:21:45,359 --> 00:21:51,040 Speaker 2: we do know, she was a good nurse. People appreciated 370 00:21:51,040 --> 00:21:53,639 Speaker 2: what she did, and it seems like she did a 371 00:21:53,680 --> 00:21:57,800 Speaker 2: really good job, was very competent, and because of that 372 00:21:57,880 --> 00:22:02,560 Speaker 2: was very well respected in light as a nurse at least. 373 00:22:02,680 --> 00:22:08,679 Speaker 2: And that's yeah, it's such a big thing to find someone, 374 00:22:09,359 --> 00:22:10,240 Speaker 2: find a good nurse. 375 00:22:12,200 --> 00:22:18,120 Speaker 1: Mm hmmm. And also, uh, I love the cat. 376 00:22:19,880 --> 00:22:27,399 Speaker 2: The cat has been amazing on the screen. 377 00:22:29,480 --> 00:22:31,800 Speaker 1: So I'm very gestural. 378 00:22:31,320 --> 00:22:33,639 Speaker 3: When I'm speaking, so I moved my hands everywhere and 379 00:22:33,760 --> 00:22:36,360 Speaker 3: she clearly was not happy about that. 380 00:22:39,320 --> 00:22:41,879 Speaker 1: Yeah, let me do, let me help you. I got this. 381 00:22:43,200 --> 00:22:46,600 Speaker 2: Yes, So towards the end you heard some some giggles, 382 00:22:46,760 --> 00:22:48,160 Speaker 2: some smothered giggles. 383 00:22:48,960 --> 00:22:52,199 Speaker 1: That's what it was. It was very cute. It was 384 00:22:52,280 --> 00:22:52,920 Speaker 1: very cute. 385 00:22:53,320 --> 00:22:57,040 Speaker 2: Well, thank you, as always, Eves for for joining us. 386 00:22:57,040 --> 00:22:59,040 Speaker 1: We love having you. The cat is welcome anytime. 387 00:23:00,680 --> 00:23:01,280 Speaker 4: I'll let her know. 388 00:23:01,560 --> 00:23:06,440 Speaker 2: Okay, cool, probably have a feed next. I have a talent. 389 00:23:09,760 --> 00:23:11,919 Speaker 2: Where can the good listeners find you? 390 00:23:11,920 --> 00:23:15,040 Speaker 3: You can find me at Eves Jeffcote dot com. That's 391 00:23:15,080 --> 00:23:18,480 Speaker 3: spelled y v E s j E F F c 392 00:23:18,640 --> 00:23:20,320 Speaker 3: O A T. For those of you who don't know 393 00:23:20,320 --> 00:23:23,720 Speaker 3: how to spell my name. You can find me through 394 00:23:23,800 --> 00:23:25,560 Speaker 3: all the different pathways on that website. But if you 395 00:23:25,600 --> 00:23:27,760 Speaker 3: want to go directly to Instagram, you can find me 396 00:23:27,840 --> 00:23:31,040 Speaker 3: at Not Apologizing, and that's where I'm the most active. 397 00:23:31,040 --> 00:23:31,879 Speaker 4: So I'll leave it at that. 398 00:23:32,200 --> 00:23:37,679 Speaker 2: Yeah, fair, fair point, yes, and I hope you have 399 00:23:37,720 --> 00:23:38,200 Speaker 2: a good nap. 400 00:23:38,280 --> 00:23:38,600 Speaker 1: Eves. 401 00:23:39,000 --> 00:23:39,439 Speaker 4: Thank you. 402 00:23:39,880 --> 00:23:44,840 Speaker 1: I really appreciate that. Of course you do well listeners. 403 00:23:44,880 --> 00:23:47,240 Speaker 2: If you'd like to contact us, you can our emails 404 00:23:47,280 --> 00:23:50,160 Speaker 2: Stuffy Dmom Stuff at iHeartMedia dot com. You can find 405 00:23:50,240 --> 00:23:52,879 Speaker 2: us on Twitter at most of the podcasts, or on 406 00:23:52,960 --> 00:23:54,480 Speaker 2: Instagram and TikTok at stuff. 407 00:23:54,520 --> 00:23:55,199 Speaker 1: I've Never told you. 408 00:23:55,440 --> 00:23:57,800 Speaker 2: We to have a tea public store and a book. 409 00:23:57,960 --> 00:23:59,639 Speaker 2: You can pre order it at Stuff. You should read 410 00:23:59,640 --> 00:24:04,320 Speaker 2: books both physical form and an audiobook form. Thank you again, Eves. 411 00:24:04,760 --> 00:24:07,800 Speaker 2: Thanks to our super producer Christina, our executive producer Maya, 412 00:24:08,119 --> 00:24:09,320 Speaker 2: and our contributor Joey. 413 00:24:09,400 --> 00:24:11,640 Speaker 1: Thank you, and thanks to you for listening. Stefan never 414 00:24:11,640 --> 00:24:12,800 Speaker 1: told you. The production by Heart Radio. 415 00:24:12,800 --> 00:24:14,280 Speaker 2: For more podcast or my heart Radio, you can check 416 00:24:14,280 --> 00:24:16,000 Speaker 2: out the heart Radio app, Apple podcast, or wherever you 417 00:24:16,080 --> 00:24:17,119 Speaker 2: listen to your favorite shows.