Even before Charles Drew went into medicine, he experienced racial tensions that limited his opportunities. He was one of only 13 African Americans in a student population of 600 at Amherst College in Massachusetts in 1922 (“Charles Richard Drew”). He knew that his race could potentially limit his opportunities in his education and career. Nevertheless, Drew decided to pursue medicine, but continued to witness actions of prejudice in the schools he attended and the places he worked. The American Red Cross (ARC) had created a policy in which “only Caucasian blood would be acceptable for later administration to members of the military forces” (Wilson, O’Connor and Willis 96). The injustice present in Drew’s time drove him to fight for equality in his field. Charles Richard Drew’s contribution to the process of blood banking and his fight against racist policies in the medical field make him a catalyst for
Even before Charles Drew went into medicine, he experienced racial tensions that limited his opportunities. He was one of only 13 African Americans in a student population of 600 at Amherst College in Massachusetts in 1922 (“Charles Richard Drew”). He knew that his race could potentially limit his opportunities in his education and career. Nevertheless, Drew decided to pursue medicine, but continued to witness actions of prejudice in the schools he attended and the places he worked. The American Red Cross (ARC) had created a policy in which “only Caucasian blood would be acceptable for later administration to members of the military forces” (Wilson, O’Connor and Willis 96). The injustice present in Drew’s time drove him to fight for equality in his field. Charles Richard Drew’s contribution to the process of blood banking and his fight against racist policies in the medical field make him a catalyst for