Born: 1864 (Mecklenburg County, North Carolina)
Died: 1902
Biography:
Eliza Anna Grier (1864–1902) was an American physician and the first African American woman licensed to practice medicine in the U.S. state of Georgia.
Grier was born in Mecklenburg County, North Carolina in 1864 to Emily and George Washington Grier. Although she was born after the Emancipation Proclamation, she was born enslaved as she resided in the part of North Carolina not occupied by the Union Army. She was emancipated at the end of the war, as an infant.
Grier moved to Nashville, Tennessee, to study teaching at Fisk University. In order to be able to afford her tuition fees, she alternated every year of studying with working. After enrolling in 1884, she graduated in 1891.
In 1890, Grier wrote to the Woman’s Medical College of Pennsylvania explaining that she had very little money and inquired whether assistance might be provided for an emancipated slave to receive any help into so lofty a profession. Her determination paid off, as she was accepted into the college in 1893. Once again, she worked in between periods of studying to support herself.
Grier worked for a year picking cotton to pay for the next year’s medical school, and it took her seven years to graduate. After graduating in 1897, she moved to Atlanta, Georgia, and applied for a license to practice medicine in Fulton County, making her the first African American woman to receive a medical license in the state of Georgia.
Setting up a private practice in Atlanta, Grier specialized in obstetrics and gynecology. She witnessed colored women doing all the work in cases of accouchement, with the fees going to white doctors who merely looked on. Motivated by this injustice, Grier said, Why should I not get the fee myself…Some of the best white doctors in the city have welcomed me, and say that they will give me an even chance in the profession. That is all I ask.
However, after graduating from medical school, Grier faced the challenge of building a private practice and had to supplement her income with teaching jobs. Despite the obstacles, she continued to provide medical care to the African American community in Atlanta.
In 1901, just three years after opening her practice, Grier fell ill and was unable to work. She wrote to suffragist Susan B. Anthony to request help with her financial troubles, but Anthony was not able to provide financial assistance. Nonetheless, she contacted the Woman’s Medical College on Grier’s behalf, acknowledging the herculean task Grier had undertaken in Greenville and suggesting that the college could offer better assistance.
Eliza Ann Grier’s dedication to overcoming adversity and pursuing a career in medicine paved the way for future African American women in the field. Her determination to provide healthcare to her community while facing racial and gender discrimination is a testament to her strength and resilience.