By: Jordan Meadows | Staff Writer
The Black Alumni Experience Project at the University of North Carolina (UNC) School of Medicine provides an insightful collection of oral histories that illuminate the journeys of Black medical professionals.
This project, initiated by the UNC chapter of the Student National Medical Association (SNMA), seeks to preserve and share the stories of Black alumni who have contributed significantly to the medical field, despite facing immense obstacles throughout their careers and lives.
The Black Alumni Experience Project highlights the achievements of alumni like Dr. Lynous Hall, who in 1969 became the only Black student in his medical class. Hall attended Ligon High School, one of the Black high schools in Raleigh, and earned a partial scholarship to Shaw University where he double majored in biology and chemistry.
“When I graduated from high school, you went to the military, you got a job working in the ditch, or you went to college. And that was it. We had no options,” Hall said in his interview.
Hall’s educational drive continued after he graduated from Shaw in 1961 and then at UNC, where he worked as a technician in the Department of Biochemistry. He simultaneously studied for the MCAT, attended classes, and enrolled in courses at the School of Public Health. The Department of Biochemistry noticed his hard work and recommended him to the UNC School of Medicine.
As the only Black student in his class, he recalled enduring moments of isolation, such as when a fellow student questioned his presence during a gross anatomy class.
“I’d go to class — I’m the only Black in class — and we’re in a gross anatomy and some kid says, ‘Why is he here?’ And I heard it. And I just kept doing what I was doing,” Hall recalled. “And for the most part for the first year, they didn’t talk to me.”
Hall remained focused and committed to his studies, never missing a class. By his second year, he began to feel more comfortable in his environment.
“I went through classes every day. Never skipped classes. Labs. I did all the lab work. Studied like hell. Pumped out until 2:00 a.m. every night. Never drank beer. Never went to a party. Never had a vacation. Just work,” Hall said. “Next year, things got a little bit better. After that, I felt better about myself. And just kept plugging away.”
After graduating from UNC, Dr. Hall went on to complete his obstetrics residency at the University of Rochester. His early career was shaped by his role at Kaiser Permanente, where he worked as part of a diverse team of physicians running Kaiser’s first high-risk OB clinic.
“You can always learn, regardless of what happens. Superfluous things like race put-downs — these sorts of things should fly over your shoulder. Your ideal situation is the one that you want. And that’s the one that you chose to follow regardless of what happened. And that’s what I did,” Hall said.
In his interview, Dr. Hall also emphasized the importance of flexibility and encouraged aspiring medical professionals to adapt to the inevitable changes that would come with advancements like artificial intelligence. He also noted the high cost of medical education as one of the most significant barriers for many aspiring physicians.
The collection of Black alumni from UNC’s School of Medicine also includes the experiences of Dr. Venita Newby-Owens, the first African American woman admitted to the UNC School of Medicine.
Dr. Venita Newby-Owens was born in 1947 in Weeksville, a rural community outside Elizabeth City, North Carolina. After earning a B.S. in Microbiology with a minor in Chemistry from Howard University, she made history as the first African American woman to be admitted to the UNC School of Medicine. After completing her pediatrics residency at the George Washington University Children’s Hospital National Medical Center, she further advanced her education by obtaining a Master of Public Health (MPH) from Johns Hopkins University.
Dr. Newby-Owens worked as a pediatric consultant and the Director of Public Health in multiple areas, including Portsmouth, VA, Virginia Beach, Norfolk, Eastern Shore, and Chesapeake. One of her most significant contributions was pioneering the establishment of federally funded community health centers in Portsmouth and Virginia Beach, which continue to serve local communities today.
The Black Alumni Experience Project is a collaborative effort that spans multiple generations of students, faculty, and alumni. Leaders like Candace Barr and Imani Sweatt, who first envisioned the project in 2021, passed the responsibility on to other students, like Dr. Ahlina Archibald (Class of ‘24), who worked tirelessly to conduct interviews, write transcripts, and dig through archival materials.
Founded in 1879, UNC-Chapel Hill became the first public university in the United States in 1793, and the medical school, though officially established in 1879, had roots in medical instruction dating back to before the Civil War. Among the notable milestones in its history was the admission of the first female student in 1915 and its first African American student, Oscar Diggs, in 1951— over 155 years after its opening.
The 1960s and 1970s were transformative decades for both UNC School of Medicine and the broader medical community. During this time, the number of underrepresented minority students in medical schools across the United States grew from about 1% to 16% by 1976. Today, it’s about a quarter of all students.
You can check out the Black Alumni Experience Project at www.med.unc.edu/md/baep.
