Inside Out | A history of Black health care resilience – The News-Gazette

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Updated: July 27, 2025 @ 6:16 am
A Mercy Hospital School of Nursing class.

A Mercy Hospital School of Nursing class.
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In the early 20th century, health care was far from equal in Champaign-Urbana — African American residents often found themselves denied care or forced to accept less than what their White neighbors received.
Amid this injustice, two extraordinary figures rose to serve with dignity and distinction: Dr. Henry Rowan and Dr. Henry (Harry) D. Ellis.
Dr. Rowan made history in 1914 as the first African American physician to practice in Champaign-Urbana.
Born in Missouri in 1879, he established his professional reputation there and in Danville before setting up his practice in a modest, second-floor office at 112½ N. Walnut St. in Champaign.
Beyond the stethoscope, Dr. Rowan served as the inaugural president of the Twin City branch of the NAACP in 1915.
He retired in 1929 and passed away just two years later, but his impact as a community leader lives on.
Dr. Ellis followed close behind. A Springfield native born in 1894, Dr. Ellis served in the all-Black 370th Infantry Regiment during World War I — a unit that earned great respect for its service in Europe.
He returned home to pursue medicine, graduating from the University of Illinois and completing his medical training at the renowned Provident Hospital in Chicago.
In 1924, he established his practice in Champaign, where he served the community for over two decades until he died in 1946.
Despite their dedication, neither Dr. Rowan nor Dr. Ellis was allowed to admit patients into local hospitals.
Segregation policies dictated that White doctors were to stand in for them if a patient required hospitalization.
Additionally, Burnham City and St. Mary’s hospitals accepted African American patients but only on a segregated basis.
Yet the story of Black health care resilience didn’t end there.
In 1935, the local Elks Lodge auxiliary — Victory Temple 530 — sponsored a Red Cross program to train Black female health workers in home hygiene and sick care.
Two decades later, Vivian Grundy became the first African American graduate of Mercy Hospital’s nursing school.
That same year, in 1955, Lucille Clark broke barriers at Carle Foundation Hospital, serving as its first Black nurse for an impressive 45 years.
Through the decades, physicians including Dr. Clara Smith, Dr. Earl H. Simpson and Dr. Lawrence Diffay added to the ranks of early African American podiatrists committed to serving Champaign-Urbana with excellence.
The establishment of the Champaign-Urbana Public Health District in 1938 and the Well Baby Clinic at Mercy Hospital marked the beginning of public health services for North End residents.
By 1969, inspired by local health care disparities, community members opened the Frances Nelson Health Center — named in honor of a woman who cared for homeless Black children in the 1940s.
Nelson’s legacy continues today through Promise Healthcare.
Their collective contributions form a powerful history — one of resilience, healing and an unyielding demand for equity.
And thanks to the continued efforts to preserve these stories, their impact will never be forgotten.
The Champaign County African American Heritage Trail preserves and shares the powerful history of African Americans who helped shape Champaign County. Through historical markers, public art and community storytelling, the trail educates residents and visitors about a rich cultural legacy that has long gone unrecognized. Its mission is to make these stories accessible, spark meaningful conversation, and deepen understanding across generations.

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