The theme of this year’s National African American History Month, Black American Women in American Culture and History, recognizes the role African American women have played in shaping the character of our nation and the many unique contributions they’ve made -- and are making -- to our culture and society.  

Last year, we featured a series of blog posts from African Americans across the Obama Administration that offered a glimpse into the work they do, including posts from several women serving in the Administration.  Below, read the story of Dr. Regina Benjamin, the Surgeon General of the United States, and follow the links at the bottom to read more posts from African American women in the Administration.

As Surgeon General, I am privileged to serve as “America’s Doctor,” providing the public with the best scientific information available on how to improve their health and the health of the nation. I also oversee the operational command of 6,500 uniformed health officers in the Commissioned Corps of the U.S. Public Health Service. These officers serve in locations around the world to promote, protect, and advance the health of the American People.

I grew up in Daphne, Alabama, and graduated from high school in the nearby town of Fairhope. I received a bachelor’s degree in chemistry from Xavier University in New Orleans and attended Morehouse School of Medicine before receiving my medical degree from the University of Alabama at Birmingham. I later obtained a masters’ degree in business administration from Tulane University in New Orleans. After completing my family medicine residency in Macon, Georgia, I established a clinic in a small fishing village in Alabama to help its many uninsured residents. That clinic in Bayou La Batre is still operating today, despite being destroyed by Hurricane Georges in 1998, Hurricane Katrina in 2005, and a devastating fire in 2006.  President Obama nominated me for the Surgeon General’s post in July 2009, and I was confirmed by the Senate for that position in November of the same year.

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