32. Martin Delany, Black Nationalist, Physician, Military Officer
Born free in the slave state of Virginia, Martin Delany was a vocal black Nationalist and considered one of the earliest voices in the movement. He became one of three black men admitted to the Harvard Medical School. The black physician heroically stayed in Pittsburgh to treat cholera victims at a time when many doctors fled the epidemic. He later became the first black field officer in the United States Army during the US Civil War. While serving, he was active in recruiting black troops.
