Thank You, Dr. Mildred Jefferson

Dr Mildred Jefferson was amazing. I strongly encourage those who have never heard of her to read her wikipedia page: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mildred_Fay_Jefferson She was the first Black woman to graduate from Harvard Medical School, and the first woman of any color to graduate as a surgeon from Harvard Medical. It doesn’t end there, she was “the first” at many things-too many to list here. If you would like to learn more about her numerous accomplishments, please do read her wikipedia page.

In this post, I just want to write about the Mildred Jefferson I knew and loved. I didn’t know her well, and only met her once, but I have no memory of not knowing who Mildred Jefferson was. My pro-life parents spoke of her all the time, and I will never forget the way my father’s face would light up, and the way he would smile from ear to ear whenever she appeared on television. Dr Jefferson helped to found Massachusetts Citizens for Life, which my parents belonged to: she was also the president of National Right to Life for three terms. To say that she was crucial to the pro-life movement would be the understatement of all time: President Reagan credited her with changing his mind on abortion.

In my life, I have been in the same room with three people who just emanated light, literally. Three people whom I knew for certain were saints: one was my aunt who was dying of cancer, one was a dishwasher at a restaurant that I worked at, and the third one was Mildred Jefferson. My father introduced me to her at a pro-life banquet, and I had the privilege of basking in her light for five or ten minutes. It was incredible; she was incredible. She just exuded light and love and joy, there is no way to describe it, but whenever I get discouraged and start doubting, I only need to remember the time that I met Mildred Jefferson, and I know that God exists, and I know that heaven is real, and I know that Dr Jefferson is there. RIP.