Since the pandemic, the topic of well-being has never before been so relevant, with people of all ages taking care of and checking in on their mental and physical selves. The demand for psychologists may have risen, but so has the demand for physical therapists (PTs). A highly sought-after field with competitive pay, it’s also an industry that was traditionally white. 

Meet four Black physical therapists who paved the way toward increasing representation and opened the door for newer generations to join their ranks: 

Ted Corbitt

Born in 1919, Theodore “Ted” Corbitt went on to become one of the most revered athletes of our time. Not only was he an Olympian but he was also the first Black marathoner to represent the United States during the games in 1952. In total, he went on to run over dozens of marathons, earning him the nickname the “Founding Father of American Distance Running.” 

When he wasn’t breaking records, Corbitt was dedicated to teaching and helping others with rehabilitation techniques post-injury. He served as a professor at Columbia University for over 20 years and worked for 44 years at The International Center for the Disabled in New York. When he joined the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA) in 1947, he was one of the first African Americans to do so. 

As a physical therapist, he was one of the first to study, teach, and practice the following disciplines: connective tissue massage, proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation, progressive resistance exercise, and applied kinesiology. His methods are still studied and practiced today, and Corbitt is also largely credited with pioneering the use of acupuncture in patient care.

Thelma Brown Pendleton and Vilma Evans

Born and raised during a time when Black people were forbidden from entering certain educational institutions or even having certain jobs, these two women fought to become physical therapists. 

When some of these obstacles were lifted slightly in the 1940s, Thelma Brown Pendleton went on to enroll at Northwestern University and get her physical therapy certificate. There, she became the fifth-ever African-American physical therapist — a milestone as a Black woman. She later went on to found and lead the physical therapy program at Provident Hospital before going on to supervise clinical instructor education programs at Northwestern University for many years.

Vilma Evans, a New York City native, similarly ran into racial barriers when it came to her dream of pursuing a profession in physical therapy. Like Pendleton, when these measures were lifted, she obtained her physical therapy certificate from the University of Pennsylvania in 1951, a master’s in physical therapy in 1956 from New York University, and later a doctorate in education. 

Both women were members of APTA, with Evans famously stating, “members can’t all sit on the outside and expect someone else to carry on. If you want change in your organization, you have to get involved.”

Lynda Woodruff

When it came to trailblazing, Lynda Woodruff had the gift in spades. As a 13-year-old student, she managed to desegregate a high school in Lynchburg, Virginia. Later, Lynda went on to complete her Master’s in Physical Therapy and became the first Black woman to join the physical therapy department at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. But her achievements and dedication to educating others on physical therapy did not stop there. Not only did she become the director of the physical therapy department at North Georgia College, she also created the first Department of Physical Therapy program at Alabama State University, where she remained as a consultant until her passing in 2018. 

As a Black woman, Lynda also saw the disparities faced by those of poorer socioeconomic status and their access to treatment — particularly medical treatment. Her stance as a strong advocate for diversity, inclusion, and equity led her to become an active and vocal member of the American Physical Therapy Association, and later co-founding The Physical Therapy Learning Institute, where both a sponsorship fund and lecture series live on in her name. 

While these four have broken through systemic racism to lead the way, today, there are countless individuals working in physical therapy, helping people heal, recover, and maintain a positive quality of life. If physical therapy sounds like a field of interest to you, learn more about our Social Sciences Pathway, which can lead to the profession you were made for.

Sources:

https://www.athletico.com/2020/02/19/celebrating-black-history-in-physical-therapy/

https://www.utoledo.edu/hhs/pt/spto/pdfs/Visionary%20Black%20Physical%20Therapists.pdf

https://www.apta.org/article/2019/02/19/vision-courage-compassion-black-physical-therapists-who-transformed-the-profession