First African-American Nurses at Baton Rouge General Recognized

more than 50 years later a group of Trailblazers is getting the recognition they have always deserved for Black History Month waa peas Michelle Calum McAuliffe talks to some of the first african-american nurses in our area it's another appearance for the ladies I found there were no nursing schools for women of color a radio interview with major reginal Brown three nurses who helped make history my experience there was again everything was segregated they've become celebrities of sorts and they're enjoying it wonderful wonderful wonderful it really is it's nice it's sort of surprising me all the well I mean somewhat because we didn't expect all this the women are among the first black nurses at Baton Rouge General Hospital fifty years later their place in history is being celebrated they have been recognized by mayor Kip Holden state legislatures and just recently by their former employer to see this into fruition I'm I'm still I'm on high it's a far cry from where it all began it was the 1950s a time of segregation the black nurses here were assigned to one wing of the hospital called forth South the fourth floor and that's where all of the black patients were treated they say it was a hospital within a hospital cafeteria being segregated the patients are not having private rooms and having to be placed on the halls with IVs poles and IV stands on the hall we could do the medications and do the treatments but we could not do the clerk could not do the clerical phase of it could not chart it the white age would have to do the charting the black received black blood but the whites could not receive the black book and it was labeled BL ACK many of them received their nursing degrees at the Capital Area trade school the only school in the state where blacks could get a nursing degree they fondly remember their colleagues including the first black nursing instructor Mary Harris and their mentor and friend Ida Henderson but I learned a lot I made mistakes but I profit from those mistakes I was able to help teach some other nurses they came along in fact we helped train some white are in it was my calling I love people I love the opening doors along the way and breaking down barriers including integrating the hospital's cafeteria so we just entered the cafeteria on the white counterparts side of the cafeteria I went down the streamline selected but rewarded paid and had a seat and from that day on well I guess it was a maybe a week after that they tore the barrier down between the cafeteria and the black section and the white and everybody was able to eat together and they have been together ever since a bond that can never be broken Michelle McCallum WAFB 9 news Joanne Forbes a daughter of one of the nurses is trying to get the White House to honor them as well it is so important to honor these heroes while they're with us fantastic I know it's great to hear from them 9 Sports extra

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Length: 3min 47sec (227 seconds)

Published: Tue Feb 25 2014