Legislature Recommends Great Barrington Native for Postal Honor
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BOSTON — The Legislature on Monday adopted a resolution recommending that Dr. May Edward Chinn, a native of Great Barrington, be honored by the U.S. Postal Service through its Black Heritage Stamp Series.
The joint resolution of the state House and Senate recognizes the pioneering contributions of Chinn in the field of medicine in celebration of Black History Month. The resolution was jointly presented by state Sens. Paul Mark of Peru and Liz Miranda of Roxbury and state Rep. William "Smitty" Pignatelli of Lenox.
Her biography posted on the National Institutes for Health page states Chinn was born in Great Barrington on April 15, 1895, to William Lafayette Chinn, a former enslaved person from the Cheyne Plantation in Virginia, and Lulu Ann Evans, a Native American from the Chickahominy Indian Reservation near Norfolk, Va., and was raised in New York City.
She overcame extraordinary poverty and racism to graduate with a bachelor of science degree from Teachers College at Columbia University and pursue a career in clinical pathology. Subsequently, she moved into medicine and became the first woman of African American and Algonquin descent to graduate from the New York University School of Medicine.
Chinn pioneered many practices of modern medicine, by participating in early cancer screening trials and by being the first doctor for Harlem (N.Y.) Hospital to go on ambulance calls. She dedicated
her life to making the world fairer by treating the poor in her community all the way until her death at the
age of 84 on Dec. 1, 1980.
"Dr. May Edward Chinn of Great Barrington, is a name and story that more Americans need to know
about," said Mark. "Having her honored on a U.S. postage stamp is a fitting tribute to her contributions to advancing the frontiers of medicine and society and will help ensure that more Americans will be inspired by her life to also achieve to their full capability."
Pignatelli said he wholeheartedly supported this joint effort, noting "there are many native sons and daughters who called these humble hills of Berkshires home but helped shape the arc of the entire country. It is important that we recognize individuals like Dr. Chinn who paved the way for equity, justice and progress in our commonwealth."
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