Charles R. Drew was a groundbreaking and influential Black physician, surgeon, and researcher. He is remembered as the "Father of the Blood Bank" and is my next #BlackHistoryMonth highlight. 1/7 
Drew was a pioneer in the field of blood preservation and the leading authority in the field during WWII, when the need for blood plasma was greater than ever. 2/7
As first the medical director of the Blood for Britain project and then the director of the first @RedCross Blood Bank, which was in charge of blood for use by the U.S. Army and Navy, his work saved thousands of lives. 3/7
It also laid the foundation for the process and techniques that the American Red Cross would adapt for the nation's blood banks. 4/7
Drew advocated against the practice of excluding the blood of African Americans from plasma-supply networks, and he eventually resigned after the U.S. armed forces ruled it would be accepted but would have to be stored separately from that of white Americans. 5/7
The @NAACP awarded Drew the Spingarn Medal for his wartime work in 1944, and appreciation for his contributions to #PublicHealth have only continued to grow since his untimely death in 1950. 6/7
Learn more about Dr. Charles R. Drew from the University of Medicine and Science that bears his name and seeks to honor his expertise and service to his community: cdrewu.edu/about-cdu/abou… #BlackHistoryMonth 7/7
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