Charles R. Drew University (CDU) has remained a staple in the South Los Angeles community since its founding after the 1965 Watts Rebellion. What many may not know is that five women helped create the legacy of the institution through their leadership and actvism, and this year CDU celebrates its 60th anniversary since its founding.
The five women are Nola M. Carter (1918-2019), Mary B. Henry (1927-2009), Caffie Greene (1919-2010), Lillian H. Mobley (1930-2011), and Johnnie Tillmon (1926-1995).
“Two of those women were my mentors, Mrs. Lillian Mobley and Mrs. Nola Mae Carter. Mrs. Mobley took me under her wings when I came to Drew in 1984, and it’s because of their guidance that I’ve been able to do the work I do in the community,” said Professor Cynthia Davis, MPH, DHL, Urban Public Health at CDU.
Carter was a community leader, director of the Florence-Graham Neighborhood Center, member of the CDU Community Advisory Council (1986-2005), president of the King/Drew Medical Center Auxiliary, and co-founder of Mothers in Action (1992).
Henry held multiple titles due to her work in the Los Angeles community, which led her to being recognized by the Los Angeles Times as Woman of the Year in 1967. She was also the executive director of the Avalon-Carver Community Center (1969-1990s), first chair of the CDU Community Advisory Council (1978), co-founder of Mothers in Action (1992), and served on the CDU Board of Trustees (1990-2004; 2005-2010, emeritus).
Mobley was the executive director of the South Central Multipurpose Senior Citizens’ Center, chaired the CDU Community Advisory Council (1992-2005), and was named California State Legislators’ Woman of the Year in 1987. She was also a co-founder of Mothers on Action in 1992 and served as a CDU Board of Trustees member from 1998 to 2005.
Greene was also another notable woman who was a community leader and a co-founder of King-Drew Auxiliary in 1969. She also chaired the California Regional Medical Programs (RMP), Area IX Council in the 1970s and served on the Board of Trustees from 1990 to 2004 and again from 2005 to 2010 as emeritus.
Last but not least, Tillman was a fellow community leader and a child day care advocate who founded the Aid to Needy Children (ANC), Mothers Anonymous, in 1963 and served as executive director of the National Welfare Rights Organization from 1972 to 1975. At CDU, the Johnnie Tillman Child Care Center on campus opened in June 1974, and she was also a co-founder of Mothers in Action.
Current CDU female professors and educators in medicine, Professor Cynthia Davis, Dr. Dulcie Kermah, and Dr. Omolola Ogunyemi, spoke to Our Weekly about their career paths in medicine and healthcare, the importance of women’s history, female leadership, and more in honor of the five female leaders that paved the way for them.
Dr. Kermah, EdD, MPH, leads CDU’s Pipeline Programs, which were established to help thousands of pre-K-12 underrepresented students gain knowledge of careers in health research, science, and medicine. She is also a biostatistician, professor, and public health professional. She reflects on her role and the impact it has for youth, especially younger women, of today.
“My role at CDU, overseeing our Pipeline Programs, is really about continuing the work those pioneers started. We don’t let it fail or stop, because then all the sacrifice, sweat, and advocacy they put in would not be worth it,” said Dr. Kermah. She also reflected on a moment at CDU that meant a lot to her this year as the program had its annual junior coat ceremony in January. The students were recognized for their hard work and given a white coat to symbolize their futures as doctors.
“It’s so important for our girls to see people who look like them and have walked this journey. They see it and want to be it. When they see someone who looks like them succeeding in STEM, they’re encouraged to follow that path,” she said.
Professor Cynthia Davis’ (MPH, DHL, Urban Public Health) long career had a crucial impact on how healthcare is delivered in the Watts-Willowbrook area of Los Angeles. Her Mobile Health Outreach Project was imperative during the heights of the HIV/AIDS epidemic, providing testing to many in the community and also paving the way for other program models to mirror her services. She said that an important moment during her career occurred when they received a donation from the Magic Johnson Foundation in 1991—after the basketball star revealed he had HIV—allowing them to purchase their first mobile van in order for her team to administer HIV testing.
She spoke about the importance of carrying on the footsteps of the women before her and inspiring women at CDU to maintain the legacy. “We need to serve as role models for other women and young girls, to let them know that once you set your mind to something, you can accomplish anything that you want to do.”
In the footsteps of the five female pioneers before her, Professor Omolola Ogunyemi (PhD, Biomedical Informatics) researches how telehealth and artificial intelligence (AI) can improve disease diagnosis in underserved communities. She often discusses how AI, while seen as harmful, can be beneficial in detecting conditions such as diabetic retinopathy and also create more adequate access to health care. As a computer scientist and biomedical informatician, she believes that women should be at the forefront of AI.
“I really hope that women in tech ask different questions… not whether AI can do better than humans, but how it can extend human abilities and help democratize access to healthcare,” said Ogunyemi.
“I think women bring a particular eye or a particular sensibility to healthcare… I think there would be more of an emphasis on improving wellness and improving equity if we had a better balance of folks with a computer science background and training who are applying their skill sets to medical care. So it’s not just about extracting profit and spinning off a new company. It’s about, how does this move society as a whole to a better place?”