The Association for the Study of African American Life and History (ASALH) is considered the founders of celebrating Black History Month. 2026 marks the 100th anniversary celebrating this time of recognition of the contributions, discoveries and sacrifices made by Black Americans throughout history. Black History month started in 1926 as only a week before being officially expanded to the entire month of February in 1976.
Below is a sampling of some of our newer biographies and oral histories featuring African American PAs who have made significant contributions to the PA profession. Please explore our entire collection of Oral Histories and Biographies for more inspiring stories!
If you would like to suggest that we recognize someone through an interview or a bio, please write the PA History Society.
Pioneers
In light of the 100th anniversary of Black History Month, the PA History Society would like to pay special recognition to the individuals below:
Henry Lee “Buddy” Treadwell was an informally trained assistant to a doctor in rural North Carolina. Treadwell and his relationship with Dr. Amos was one of the inspirations for Dr. Eugene Stead’s founding of the PA profession.
Prentiss Harrison was the first Black PA. He went on to become a PA educator and an advocate for diversity within the PA profession. [Pictured Right]
Joyce Nicholas was the first female PA. She also was an advocate outside of the profession, fighting for tenets’ rights in North Carolina. This interview is audio only: Interview
Steven Turnipseed was in the first class of MEDEX students and was also the program’s first Black student. Turnipseed fought in Vietnam and went on to be one of the first Black program directors in the US: Interview
Biographies
Tracy Branch – She was one of the first US Public Health Service PAs to join joint service humanitarian missions in partnerships with the United States Navy Pacific Partnerships and Continuing Promise. She was also elected to serve in Liberia with Monrovia Medical Unit (MMU) Team One during the 2014 Ebola outbreak. The unite would go on to write on novel protocols for holistic care for Ebola infection; introduce the first use of interventional medical treatments to include phlebotomy, intravenous medication administration; and revise clinical protocols for the austere environment.
Gerald Kayingo – A highly respected researcher and educator. [Pictured right]
Susan Salahshor – PA educator and first African American to serve as Florida Academy of PAs president.
Dwayne Williams – PA, educator, author, and entrepreneur. Realizing that there was a need for accessible and effective PANCE preparation material, Williams created his review book, PANCE Prep Pearls.
Oral History Interviews
*If the below interviewee has a biography, you can click on their name to be taken to it.
Shani Fleming has done two videos with us! In 2022 she was the recipient of the first AAPA Diversity Award for her work in championing DEI in the PA profession: Interview (2019) Interview (2024)
Kathryn Reed is a PA educator who founded the National Society of Black PAs during the COVID-19 pandemic: Interview
Lavette Shirley Elee is a PA educator who cofounded the non-profit Women’s Health and Resilience Foundation to battle women’s health issues in underserved communities. She also is children’s book author, creating books featuring PAs as a way to introduce the profession to children: Interview
Wendell Wharton shares what inspired him to become a PA, how he served his profession in his home state of California and nationally, and the history of how the Minority Affairs Committee became the African Heritage Caucus: Interview