On May 7, 1885, Mary Eliza Mahoney, the first African American professionally trained nurse in the U.S., helped establish what would become the National Association of Colored Graduate Nurses (NACGN). Though formally founded later, Mahoney’s early organizing efforts on this date are celebrated for laying the groundwork for Black nursing advocacy. NACGN provided support and opportunities for Black nurses shut out of white institutions. Mahoney’s leadership advanced racial integration in healthcare, professional recognition, and better treatment of Black nurses nationwide, influencing future nursing and civil rights achievements.
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