The Man Behind the First Successful Open-Heart Surgery
Daniel Hale Williams was a Black physician in Chicago who overcame segregation.
“You say you see what ought to be done. Well, hoping will do no good now or any time. There is only one way you can succeed and that is to override the obstacles in your way by the power that is within you. Do what you hope to do.” — Frederick Douglass to Daniel Hale Williams
According to Northwestern University, Frederick Douglass was a long-time friend of Dr. Daniel Hale Williams and offered him the preceding advice as Dr. Williams struggled to establish a career as a doctor in Chicago in the face of racial segregation. Douglass and Dr. Williams were Black Americans when discrimination was common, and opportunities were few and far between.
Dr. Williams performed the first successful open-heart surgery in 1893, less than 30 years after the 13th amendment to the U.S. Constitution was ratified in 1865, abolishing slavery. Although performing the first open-heart surgery is an incredible accomplishment, the man behind the landmark surgery was incredibly successful throughout his life, even while dealing with obstacles such as segregation and inequality.
