“I think he felt he came there for a mission. His mission was to give good women's health care, especially give women's health care to those who were maybe underserved, unfortunate, and primarily the African American community. So he felt that that was his goal and his goal is not to fight a fight, but to work a work. So that's what he did.” (Bertram Walls on Donald Moore)

Donald T. Moore, MD was a pioneering activist, physician, and educator, who advocated for healthcare equity for African-American women.

"I think about the patient who was literally in tears, and insisted that they come back up to the clinic and give their first injection in front of me. And they were so excited. They were FaceTiming their friends. And just, that feeling over and over again, and knowing that you're making that kind of an impact in that person's life."

Deanna Adkins, MD, is the director and founder of Duke Child and Adolescent Gender Care Clinic. She provides gender-affirming care and advocates for transgender youth, but within the Duke medical system and through the legal system.

"She brought an acknowledgement and an acceptance that underrepresented students may not come with the same ammunition, but they can fight just as hard as anybody else." (Delbert Wigfall on Brenda Armstrong)

Brenda Armstrong, MD, was a Professor in the Department of Pediatrics and Associate Dean of Admissions for the Duke University School of Medicine. During this tenure, Dr. Armstrong recruited the most diverse classes in the school’s history.

“Allowing people to live the fullness of life, and not let them be defined by their medical conditions has been immensely satisfying.”

Elizabeth G. Livingston, MD is a leading maternal-fetal medicine physician, known for her expertise in managing HIV/AIDS infection during pregnancy and diabetes in prenatal diagnosis and her legislative work with the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists.

“Oftentimes looking back on your life and the lives of others, you realize there's some genuinely good people that end up being in whatever they ended up being. For him, he ended up being a doctor, and he was very good at being a doctor. But I think even before that, he was a good person.” (Eugene Wright on Charles Johnson)

Charles Johnson, MD, a trailblazing advocate for healthcare equity, defied racial barriers to become the first Black faculty member at Duke School of Medicine.

"When you try to ameliorate health disparities and working with health equity, you cannot actually assume things. You actually need to hear it directly from the people you're trying to help. And that's why working with the community is so critical. Because I could be sitting at my nice office and pretending that I know what people need, but it's usually very far off of what the reality is."

Leonor Corsino, MD, MHS, hailing from the Dominican Republic, is a passionate physician-scientist committed to tackling healthcare disparties.

“If you're an idealist, it is all encompassing. It doesn't just stop with writing prescriptions. You have to be involved. You have to roll up your sleeves and become an activist. It's absolutely essential.”

John Bartlett, MD, is a professor of medicine, global health, and nursing. He founded the first public HIV/AIDS clinic at Duke in 1983.