Black History Month Student Spotlight: Diana Burgess, ACC-LA

For Diana Burgess, Black History Month is about honoring Black achievement.

“As a Black woman I will always celebrate the Black cultural heritage, triumphs and adversities that are a big part of our country’s history, it’s a must,” she said. “Because our mark will never be changed in History.”  

As a medical assistant student at American Career College-Los Angeles, Diana celebrates the life and achievements of Dr. Rebecca Lee Crumpler, the first African-American woman to receive a medical degree in the United States.

“In 1860, there were only 300 women out of 54,543 physicians in the United States and none of them were African-American,” she said. “Dr. Rebecca Lee Crumpler took the bold step of applying to medical school and was accepted into the New England Female Medical School based in Boston. In 1864 she became the school’s only African-American graduate.”

While Diana says 28 days isn’t enough time to celebrate every African-American trailblazer like Dr. Crumpler, she believes this month is an important chance to give visibility to our history and to the people and organizations that created change.

“Black History Month is to honor the slaves who lost their lives over the color of their skin, and to give thanks to every Black man, woman, and child who has changed the world in any way possible,” she said.

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