James McCune Smith

James McCune Smith (April 18, 1813 – November 17, 1865) was an American physician, apothecary, abolitionist, and author. He is the first African-American to earn a medical degree, and the first to run a pharmacy in the United States. Smith wrote forcefully in refutation of the common misconceptions about race, intelligence, medicine, and society in general. His friends and colleagues in this movement were often famous and consisted of many noted abolitionists, including Frederick Douglass. Smith was born to a self-emancipated mother and father in New York City, New York. He attended the African Free School, where he is described as an "exceptionally bright student". In the course of his studies, he was tutored by Rev. Peter Williams,...