Susan Maria Smith McKinney Steward was the first Black female physician in Brooklyn and the third African American woman in the United States to earn a medical degree. She was also the first Black woman in New York State to achieve this milestone. In addition to her medical career, she was a writer and advocate for public health. Born in March 1847, she dedicated her life to pediatric medicine, patient care, and serving the sick. Read more about her remarkable journey on i-brooklyn.
Earning a Medical Degree
Dr. McKinney was the daughter of Sylvanus Smith, a well-known Brooklyn pork merchant and abolitionist, who led the anti-slavery movement in Brooklyn. His two daughters, Susan Smith McKinney Steward and Sarah Smith Tompkins Garnet, would later become influential figures in both the city and the nation.
Susan Smith was born in 1847 in Brooklyn. In 1867, she became the first African American woman admitted to the New York Medical College for Women. She paid for her education using her own savings and earned her Doctor of Medicine (M.D.) degree in 1870. She studied under Dr. Clemence Sophia Harned Lozier, a pioneering American physician who founded the New York Medical College and Hospital for Women.
Despite facing discrimination against both women doctors and African Americans, she successfully built a thriving medical practice. Within eight years of graduating, she was able to maintain two offices—one in Brooklyn and one in Manhattan—where she treated both Black and white patients.
She became part of a small but growing number of Black female physicians during the Reconstruction era and made history as the first African American woman in New York State to earn a medical degree and the third in the entire United States.
Medical Practice in Brooklyn
Dr. McKinney practiced under the name Dr. Susan Smith in Brooklyn from 1870 to 1873. A year later, she married Rev. William G. McKinney, after which she practiced as Dr. Susan Smith McKinney until 1896.
Her first medical office was located at 243 Pearl Street, before she later relocated to her home practice at 178 Ryerson Street and later again to 205 DeKalb Avenue.
The Brooklyn Daily Eagle, a local newspaper, described her as a graceful and refined woman who maintained a comfortable and elegant home alongside her husband, Rev. William G. McKinney, their children, and her mother.
Dr. McKinney Steward was known as a wealthy woman who dedicated herself to helping others. Her clothing was described as modest and carefully chosen, reflecting her appreciation for fashion and its significance. She carried herself with dignity and quiet confidence, demonstrating intelligence, culture, and refinement in her speech and manners.
Contributions to Women’s Healthcare
In 1881, she co-founded the Women’s Hospital and Dispensary at Myrtle and Grand Avenue in Brooklyn, where she remained on staff until 1895.
By 1882, she became a member of the New York Medical College and Hospital for Women, located at 213 West 54th Street, between Broadway and Seventh Avenue in Manhattan.
In 1887, Dr. McKinney completed postgraduate studies at Long Island Medical College, where she was the only Black student in her class.
She also served as a staff physician at the Brooklyn Home for Aged Colored People, a facility dedicated to elderly African Americans in need of medical care.
A Passion for Music and Community Leadership
Beyond medicine, Susan Smith McKinney Steward was also an accomplished musician. She worked as both an organist and choir director at the Bridge Street AME Church, actively participating in community life for 28 years. She was trained by the organist of Plymouth Church, one of Brooklyn’s most historic congregations.
Her dedication to both medicine and music exemplified her multifaceted talents and deep commitment to service.
Honoring Her Legacy
In September 1974, the Sands Junior High School in Brooklyn’s Navy Yard district was renamed in Dr. Susan Smith McKinney Steward’s honor.
Among the attendees at the renaming ceremony was her 74-year-old grandson, William McKinney, whose lifelong curiosity and intellectual pursuits embodied the same spirit of discovery and excellence that had defined his grandmother’s life.