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The Price of Exclusion: The Pursuit of Healthcare in a Segregated Nation
*2026 WINNER OF BEST NON-FICTION AT THE AFRICAN AMERICAN LITERARY AWARDS SHOW*
*AN AFRICAN AMERICAN LITERATURE BOOK CLUB BESTSELLER*
From award-winning journalist Nicole Carr comes a landmark narrative revealing the untold history of Black medical professionals who have long fought to heal their communities—while confronting a system built to exclude them.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Black Americans died at nearly twice the rate of their white counterparts—a disparity rooted not only in access to care but in a long history of exclusion, exploitation, and systemic racism. How did we get here, and why, despite generations of Black medical excellence, do these inequities persist? In The Price of Exclusion, journalist Nicole Carr uncovers that history and its urgent consequences, exposing the hidden toll of America’s refusal to value Black doctors and their patients.
At the center is the extraordinary life of Carr’s great-grandfather, Dr. Lawrence St. Clair Ferguson, a Jamaican-born physician who served in World War I and attended medical school during the Spanish Flu pandemic. His journey from colonial Jamaica to a racially divided America provides both an intimate family portrait and a sweeping history of how Black physicians persevered despite segregation, erasure, and relentless barriers to practice.
Through vivid storytelling and meticulous research, Carr resurrects the lives of pioneers who transformed medicine against impossible odds. From America’s first four-year medical school located at a historically Black college in North Carolina to the generations of Black physicians whose contributions were pushed aside by institutions of power, Carr shows how these figures were not only doctors but also advocates and innovators whose work reshaped public health and opened doors for those who followed.
Carr also reveals the systemic campaigns that actively disempowered Black doctors, from the American Medical Association’s exclusionary policies to the devastating closures of Black medical schools after the Flexner Report. That legacy fuels today’s shortage of Black medical professionals and the lingering distrust in medicine that continues to cost lives.
Bold, moving, and essential, The Price of Exclusion is both a necessary history and a testament to the resilience of Black medical pioneers past and present. At a moment when diversity, equity, and inclusion in medicine are under political attack, Carr forces us to reckon with the past while imagining a future where healthcare truly values every single life.
*AN AFRICAN AMERICAN LITERATURE BOOK CLUB BESTSELLER*
From award-winning journalist Nicole Carr comes a landmark narrative revealing the untold history of Black medical professionals who have long fought to heal their communities—while confronting a system built to exclude them.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Black Americans died at nearly twice the rate of their white counterparts—a disparity rooted not only in access to care but in a long history of exclusion, exploitation, and systemic racism. How did we get here, and why, despite generations of Black medical excellence, do these inequities persist? In The Price of Exclusion, journalist Nicole Carr uncovers that history and its urgent consequences, exposing the hidden toll of America’s refusal to value Black doctors and their patients.
At the center is the extraordinary life of Carr’s great-grandfather, Dr. Lawrence St. Clair Ferguson, a Jamaican-born physician who served in World War I and attended medical school during the Spanish Flu pandemic. His journey from colonial Jamaica to a racially divided America provides both an intimate family portrait and a sweeping history of how Black physicians persevered despite segregation, erasure, and relentless barriers to practice.
Through vivid storytelling and meticulous research, Carr resurrects the lives of pioneers who transformed medicine against impossible odds. From America’s first four-year medical school located at a historically Black college in North Carolina to the generations of Black physicians whose contributions were pushed aside by institutions of power, Carr shows how these figures were not only doctors but also advocates and innovators whose work reshaped public health and opened doors for those who followed.
Carr also reveals the systemic campaigns that actively disempowered Black doctors, from the American Medical Association’s exclusionary policies to the devastating closures of Black medical schools after the Flexner Report. That legacy fuels today’s shortage of Black medical professionals and the lingering distrust in medicine that continues to cost lives.
Bold, moving, and essential, The Price of Exclusion is both a necessary history and a testament to the resilience of Black medical pioneers past and present. At a moment when diversity, equity, and inclusion in medicine are under political attack, Carr forces us to reckon with the past while imagining a future where healthcare truly values every single life.
304 pages, Hardcover
First published June 16, 2026
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Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews
July 18, 2026
Thank you Dey Street Books for the #gifted copy in exchange for an honest review!
In this narrative, Nicole Carr paints a through-line in the history of Black medical professionals in the U.S., and how they have been systemically excluded and exploited throughout history. She follows the journey of her great-grandfather, Dr. Lawrence St. Clair Ferguson, who was born in Jamaica but practiced in Philly during the Spanish Flu pandemic. Tracing the line through history, we land in the COVID-19 pandemic, during which time Black Americans were dying at nearly twice the rate of their white counterparts, demonstrating what the price of exclusion really is.
This was such a meticulously researched, expertly organized, and painfully accurate view of the history of institutional racism in medicine. There are countless examples, from discrediting enslaved Africans who brought inoculation to the country to the not-so-distant past of the American Medical Association refusing to allow Black doctors. Carr adds in the story of her great-grandfather as a story of resilience, but also to share how so much exclusion comes at a deeply personal price. This should absolutely be required reading for
Reviewed as part of an #ARC from the publisher.
Read this book if you:
💬 actually laughed out loud when JAMA tried to tweet “no physician is racist, so how can there be structural racism in health care?”
🎙️ love investigative journalism that dives into sociopolitical history
🩺 are appalled and outraged that only 8% of medical students identify as Black
Follow me on Instagram for more book reviews!
In this narrative, Nicole Carr paints a through-line in the history of Black medical professionals in the U.S., and how they have been systemically excluded and exploited throughout history. She follows the journey of her great-grandfather, Dr. Lawrence St. Clair Ferguson, who was born in Jamaica but practiced in Philly during the Spanish Flu pandemic. Tracing the line through history, we land in the COVID-19 pandemic, during which time Black Americans were dying at nearly twice the rate of their white counterparts, demonstrating what the price of exclusion really is.
This was such a meticulously researched, expertly organized, and painfully accurate view of the history of institutional racism in medicine. There are countless examples, from discrediting enslaved Africans who brought inoculation to the country to the not-so-distant past of the American Medical Association refusing to allow Black doctors. Carr adds in the story of her great-grandfather as a story of resilience, but also to share how so much exclusion comes at a deeply personal price. This should absolutely be required reading for
Reviewed as part of an #ARC from the publisher.
Read this book if you:
💬 actually laughed out loud when JAMA tried to tweet “no physician is racist, so how can there be structural racism in health care?”
🎙️ love investigative journalism that dives into sociopolitical history
🩺 are appalled and outraged that only 8% of medical students identify as Black
Follow me on Instagram for more book reviews!
September 14, 2026
Thank you to NetGalley, Nicole Carr, and Dey Street Books for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
July 14, 2026
4.25 for content, 3.5 for enjoyment
Listened to the audiobook, read by the author which I always love because you can hear it the way they intended. Excellent historical background to inform how we get to present day inequities and with personal ties to her family. I don't think the blurb promised any different and she did what she set out to do with this book, but I wish it included more discussion of the modern implications of past discrimination on the US healthcare system. It starts to get there towards the end but I wish it continued on to have that discussion. Overall, would still recommend.
Listened to the audiobook, read by the author which I always love because you can hear it the way they intended. Excellent historical background to inform how we get to present day inequities and with personal ties to her family. I don't think the blurb promised any different and she did what she set out to do with this book, but I wish it included more discussion of the modern implications of past discrimination on the US healthcare system. It starts to get there towards the end but I wish it continued on to have that discussion. Overall, would still recommend.
October 1, 2026
First, let me say it did not take me that long to finish this book. I had to put it aside in order to read highly-requested library books before their due dates. I was able to renew this book a couple times and that in itself speaks volumes. Second, I was proud to learn of the Leonard medical school at Shaw University. I have driven past it enough without ever knowing its historical importance. I was equally angry to learn how and why it was closed (angry but not surprised). In this time of ICE and anti-DEI initiatives, it is so frustrating to see the things people in this book fought so hard to achieve being systematically dismantled.
September 5, 2026
Extremely well researched, and Carr’s writing is excellent. The family history really adds a personal touch that kept me engaged throughout the book.
October 3, 2026
An absolute must read for everyone but especially for those of us in medicine , Nicole Carr's book is an investigative history that explores the roots of our continued systemic bias, wrapped in a family story that brings a personal edge and holds the reader captive. I typically read hard copy books but did the audiobook on this one, read by the author in her voice with her intent. Highly recommend! 4.25/5.
June 29, 2026
The Price of Exclusion: The Pursuit of Healthcare in a Segregated Nation should be required reading for anyone entering the medical field, as well as anyone who cares about the current state, and future, of healthcare in the US and beyond. In this powerful book, Carr brings to light the long overlooked stories of Black physicians and their patients while exposing the systemic forces that weakened their institutions, erased their contributions, and shaped healthcare inequities that continue to this day.
I also highly recommend the audiobook. Hearing Carr narrate her own work adds a deeply personal dimension to the experience. As she recounts her journey uncovering these stories, it feels as though you're walking alongside her through every conversation, archive, and historic site, making the book's history feel immediate, vivid, and unforgettable.
I also highly recommend the audiobook. Hearing Carr narrate her own work adds a deeply personal dimension to the experience. As she recounts her journey uncovering these stories, it feels as though you're walking alongside her through every conversation, archive, and historic site, making the book's history feel immediate, vivid, and unforgettable.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
This is an important book not only for the vital history it provides but for the reality that even with a small percentage of black physicians, by 2036 the US won’t have enough physicians to care for its citizens, black and white. Prohibiting increasing Black students from contributing to health care seems blind-sided.
Carr provides a detailed history of Black contributions to health care but whose contributions were pushed aside by the powers that be. Also included are the exclusionary tactics that impacted health care for Black citizens. Weaving her family history in medicine into the story, we see the efforts by white communities and the AMA (for instance, it was only in 1968 that the AMA finally allowed Black students to enroll in white medical schools) to impede Black progress and health). Allowing more diversity in healthcare is good for all of us but with “zero sum thinking” that supports systematic racism so few understand this.
We mustn’t let history die or be whitewashed by anti-DEI initiatives which is why this book is so incredibly important. I was incredibly moved by this book. It especially hit home when I read that Western Michigan University (just a city south of where I live) “scrapped its ‘Underpresented in Medicine’ scholarship in 2024 due to the Do No Harm group that supports anti-DEI initiatives in education as the group threatened to bring a lawsuit that would be expensive and lengthy
This is a must read.
I’d like to thank NetGalley and Dey Street Books for allowing me access to this ARC.
Carr provides a detailed history of Black contributions to health care but whose contributions were pushed aside by the powers that be. Also included are the exclusionary tactics that impacted health care for Black citizens. Weaving her family history in medicine into the story, we see the efforts by white communities and the AMA (for instance, it was only in 1968 that the AMA finally allowed Black students to enroll in white medical schools) to impede Black progress and health). Allowing more diversity in healthcare is good for all of us but with “zero sum thinking” that supports systematic racism so few understand this.
We mustn’t let history die or be whitewashed by anti-DEI initiatives which is why this book is so incredibly important. I was incredibly moved by this book. It especially hit home when I read that Western Michigan University (just a city south of where I live) “scrapped its ‘Underpresented in Medicine’ scholarship in 2024 due to the Do No Harm group that supports anti-DEI initiatives in education as the group threatened to bring a lawsuit that would be expensive and lengthy
This is a must read.
I’d like to thank NetGalley and Dey Street Books for allowing me access to this ARC.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
Nicole Carr’s The Price of Exclusion is part investigative journalism, part family history, and part testament to the generations of Black physicians who fought for the right to learn, practice, and care for their communities in a segregated America.
Through the story of her great-grandfather (he was a graduate of Howard University College of Medicine) Carr traces the systemic barriers that kept Black doctors out of medical education and professional opportunities, from discriminatory accreditation standards to the deliberate exclusion of Black hospitals and training sites. Along the way, she illuminates a sobering reality: while Black Americans make up roughly 14% of the population, only about 5% of physicians in the United States are Black.
As an award-winning investigative journalist, Carr brings both rigor and heart to this work. The book is deeply researched but it is also a moving quest for ancestry, belonging, and understanding. One of my favorite lines truly captures the spirit of the project: “I’ve been chasing the dead for several years now.” That pursuit becomes a way of reclaiming history and honoring those whose contributions have too often been overlooked.
Reading The Price of Exclusion inspired me to think about the barriers that still exist in helping professions and the responsibility we have to continue creating pathways where institutions have created obstacles. Ultimately, this book is a love letter to Carr’s family, to Black physicians past and present, and to the ongoing pursuit of a society that values humanity over race.
Through the story of her great-grandfather (he was a graduate of Howard University College of Medicine) Carr traces the systemic barriers that kept Black doctors out of medical education and professional opportunities, from discriminatory accreditation standards to the deliberate exclusion of Black hospitals and training sites. Along the way, she illuminates a sobering reality: while Black Americans make up roughly 14% of the population, only about 5% of physicians in the United States are Black.
As an award-winning investigative journalist, Carr brings both rigor and heart to this work. The book is deeply researched but it is also a moving quest for ancestry, belonging, and understanding. One of my favorite lines truly captures the spirit of the project: “I’ve been chasing the dead for several years now.” That pursuit becomes a way of reclaiming history and honoring those whose contributions have too often been overlooked.
Reading The Price of Exclusion inspired me to think about the barriers that still exist in helping professions and the responsibility we have to continue creating pathways where institutions have created obstacles. Ultimately, this book is a love letter to Carr’s family, to Black physicians past and present, and to the ongoing pursuit of a society that values humanity over race.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
I often gravitate to books that connect the past and the present and this book does that by connecting the story of the author's great-grandfather and the challenges he faced (and eventual successes he had) in becoming a doctor with the current situation in this country and its shortage of Black doctors.
There is a lot to keep track of but Nicole guides the reader through carefully. I counted nearly 20 libraries and research institutions among her sources in the acknowledgements, and I could tell on almost every page that the book was thoroughly researched. It combines historical research and family interviews. And yet, the story can be told in 250 pages, so it's not an overwhelming read.
I like to end my reviews with "If you are interested in ... then this is a book for you." And there's a few paths here.
If you're interested in learning about long-term impacts of segregation or the history of medicine as relates to civil rights, this book is for you. It's also for you if you're interested in genealogical research and the work that goes into it (it's well-documented here). Or if you're interested in reading about early 20th century history, this is a book for you. And if you work in medicine, from aspiring physician to medical administrator, you would learn something important in reading this book.
(read in preparation for an interview with the author)
There is a lot to keep track of but Nicole guides the reader through carefully. I counted nearly 20 libraries and research institutions among her sources in the acknowledgements, and I could tell on almost every page that the book was thoroughly researched. It combines historical research and family interviews. And yet, the story can be told in 250 pages, so it's not an overwhelming read.
I like to end my reviews with "If you are interested in ... then this is a book for you." And there's a few paths here.
If you're interested in learning about long-term impacts of segregation or the history of medicine as relates to civil rights, this book is for you. It's also for you if you're interested in genealogical research and the work that goes into it (it's well-documented here). Or if you're interested in reading about early 20th century history, this is a book for you. And if you work in medicine, from aspiring physician to medical administrator, you would learn something important in reading this book.
(read in preparation for an interview with the author)
Review of advance copy received from Author
A debut that knows exactly what it’s doing. The Price of Exclusion is thoughtful, layered, and beautifully restrained, never rushing the reader, never over-explaining itself. The storytelling is precise and intentional, with an emotional depth that sneaks up on you. You think you’re reading a nonfiction book, and then you realize you’re holding something much bigger in your hands.
What I loved most is how human this book feels. It explores ambition, identity, power, and longing in a way that feels honest and lived-in. The characters are complex without being exhausting, and the writing trusts the reader to sit with discomfort, nuance, and unanswered questions.
This is the kind of book that doesn’t need shock value or gimmicks. Its strength is in its confidence. It lingers. It stays with you. And when you finish, you don’t want to rush to the next book, you want to talk about this one.
A stunning debut and a clear signal that Nicole Carr is a storyteller and a researcher that we are blessed to have preserve our history.
What I loved most is how human this book feels. It explores ambition, identity, power, and longing in a way that feels honest and lived-in. The characters are complex without being exhausting, and the writing trusts the reader to sit with discomfort, nuance, and unanswered questions.
This is the kind of book that doesn’t need shock value or gimmicks. Its strength is in its confidence. It lingers. It stays with you. And when you finish, you don’t want to rush to the next book, you want to talk about this one.
A stunning debut and a clear signal that Nicole Carr is a storyteller and a researcher that we are blessed to have preserve our history.
August 25, 2026
Nicole Carr’s The Price of Exclusion is about the discrimination of Black doctors throughout American and Caribbean history. She does a great job of weaving her great-grandfather’s journey of becoming a doctor with historic moments in time that contributed to or obstructed his goals. Much of this reading informed me on topics I feel should be taught in schools as there’s not much more American you can get than Black history. Though I feel there’s much more information missing that could explain the real disastrous consequences of limiting Black doctors and healthcare workers, what she does with addressing current cultural issues and right wing anti DEI propaganda keys us into what the future of American healthcare can look like if we don’t destroy such harmful rhetoric. In all honesty, I’m not hopeful for the future though I am doing the work to become a doctor. This book has given me much-needed motivation and insight into the perseverance I need to be successful in my own life.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
4.25/5. This was a great read, I'm thankful to have received a digital ARC from Netgalley and HarperCollins. This book details many of the injustices Black Americans faced in the US healthcare system and discrimination in allowing Black residents to attend medical school, and how many of these injustices persist today. She tells this history using global statistics, stories from around the world, and personal anecdotes. She talks about her great-grandfather Dr. Lawrence St. Clair Ferguson and his journey growing up in Jamaica, serving in World War I, attending medical school against all odds, and his contributions to the medical field. I learned a lot reading this book, and Carr's writing style keeps you engaged. Well researched, well written, and an overall great read. Highly recommend this book.
June 30, 2026
When research journalism meets history, you get this masterpiece. It took no time for me to get into this book and drop everything else I was reading at the time. We can see the statistics that minorities are underserved when it comes to medical treatment, but the targeted effort to ensure that Black people are excluded from practicing healthcare draws a direct line to how Black people are mistreated and under served when it comes to healthcare needs. In search of her Great grandfather path to become a Medical Physician, I believe that Nicole Carr's The Price of Exclusion, is not just the history of Medical Apartheid but an investigative research into how white supremacy connects to various systems of oppression. From education, to medical professionals, to disenfranchisement, this book gives you endless points of entry to exam and helps you appreciate the fight to be seen as human.
July 27, 2026
Largely a memoir and history of her family, the book gives a window into an important period of American history and a view into the discrimination suffered by Black men and women in healthcare training and practice. There are a few areas that are not well documented or supported, notably the intention and impact of the 1910 Flexner Report. That report is usually credited with resulting in a major upgrade in quality medical education in the US and the elimination of many subpar, marginal medical schools. The author maintains that Flexner was racist and that his criteria were designed to discriminate against the Black schools, yet she provides no evidence to support that. It left me wondering, skeptical and disappointed.-Addendum: further research on my part supports Carr’s allegations. I still fault the book for not providing that evidence and mailing a stronger case.
September 12, 2026
Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for the ARC!
While this was challenging, it was also very in depth and educational. There is a lot about not only medical history but systemic history and the injustices Black people have (and continue) to face. This was infuriating, but I highlighted a lot and read slowly to make sure I was following the significance of all the examples and exchanges shared. There are truly patterns everywhere in our societies system that are extremely problematic and not at all pro equaling or civil rights. What helps some in our society still means that despite “assistance” being in place, others face barriers and can’t even trust the assistance. My brain is still unpacking all the details in this book but it’s worth a read if you want a deep dive.
While this was challenging, it was also very in depth and educational. There is a lot about not only medical history but systemic history and the injustices Black people have (and continue) to face. This was infuriating, but I highlighted a lot and read slowly to make sure I was following the significance of all the examples and exchanges shared. There are truly patterns everywhere in our societies system that are extremely problematic and not at all pro equaling or civil rights. What helps some in our society still means that despite “assistance” being in place, others face barriers and can’t even trust the assistance. My brain is still unpacking all the details in this book but it’s worth a read if you want a deep dive.
August 27, 2026
Carr provides a detailed history of Black contributions to health care but whose contributions were pushed aside by the powers that be. Also included are the exclusionary tactics that impacted health care for Black citizens. Weaving her family history in medicine into the story, we see the efforts by white communities and the AMA (for instance, it was only in 1968 that the AMA finally allowed Black students to enroll in white medical schools) to impede Black progress and health). Allowing more diversity in healthcare is good for all of us but with “zero sum thinking” that supports systematic racism so few understand this.
Review of advance copy
As someone who enjoys history told through the lives of real people, I found The Price of Exclusion both educational and deeply engaging.
Nicole Carr masterfully intertwines the history of segregation in American healthcare with the story of her great-grandfather, Fergie, whose journey serves as a powerful reminder of the obstacles Black Americans faced when seeking medical care and opportunity.
This book tells a story of resilience, family, and the enduring pursuit of dignity and equitable healthcare. I highly recommend!
Nicole Carr masterfully intertwines the history of segregation in American healthcare with the story of her great-grandfather, Fergie, whose journey serves as a powerful reminder of the obstacles Black Americans faced when seeking medical care and opportunity.
This book tells a story of resilience, family, and the enduring pursuit of dignity and equitable healthcare. I highly recommend!
Review of advance copy
If you're interested in learning about long-term impacts of segregation or the history of medicine as relates to civil rights, this book is for you. It's also for you if you're interested in genealogical research and the work that goes into it (it's well-documented here). Or if you're interested in reading about early 20th century history, this is a book for you. And if you work in medicine, from aspiring physician to medical administrator, you would learn something important in reading this book.
Read
June 20, 2026Nicole Carr’s The Price of Exclusion: The Pursuit of Healthcare in a Segregated Nation is a powerful and deeply researched work that connects history, medicine, and systemic inequality in a way that feels both personal and urgent. Through the lens of her own family history, Carr brings forward the story of Black medical professionals who fought not only diseases but also a healthcare system built on exclusion.
One of the strongest aspects of this book is its storytelling. Instead of presenting history in a dry academic tone, Carr builds a narrative around real people like Dr. Lawrence St. Clair Ferguson, Dr. Rebecca Crumpler, and Dr. Charles Drew. Their lives are used to show how Black medical excellence has always existed, even when institutions tried to erase or ignore it. This makes the book emotionally engaging while still being highly informative.
The author also does an excellent job of connecting past injustices to present-day healthcare disparities. The discussion around COVID-19 and unequal death rates adds a modern urgency that makes the historical content feel immediately relevant. It is not just a history lesson, but a reflection on how deeply rooted systems continue to shape health outcomes today.
What stands out most is how clearly the book explains structural barriers without losing narrative flow. The reader is guided through segregation, professional exclusion, and medical discrimination in a way that is easy to understand but still intellectually powerful.
While the book is dense at times due to the amount of historical detail, it remains engaging throughout. It is especially impactful for readers interested in medical history, social justice, or the evolution of healthcare systems.
For readers exploring related informational content or guides like the Insta Gold Install Guide, this book offers a very different but equally important kind of knowledge focus, centered on history, equity, and human impact.
Overall, The Price of Exclusion is an essential read that highlights both the resilience of Black medical pioneers and the ongoing need for reform in healthcare systems.
One of the strongest aspects of this book is its storytelling. Instead of presenting history in a dry academic tone, Carr builds a narrative around real people like Dr. Lawrence St. Clair Ferguson, Dr. Rebecca Crumpler, and Dr. Charles Drew. Their lives are used to show how Black medical excellence has always existed, even when institutions tried to erase or ignore it. This makes the book emotionally engaging while still being highly informative.
The author also does an excellent job of connecting past injustices to present-day healthcare disparities. The discussion around COVID-19 and unequal death rates adds a modern urgency that makes the historical content feel immediately relevant. It is not just a history lesson, but a reflection on how deeply rooted systems continue to shape health outcomes today.
What stands out most is how clearly the book explains structural barriers without losing narrative flow. The reader is guided through segregation, professional exclusion, and medical discrimination in a way that is easy to understand but still intellectually powerful.
While the book is dense at times due to the amount of historical detail, it remains engaging throughout. It is especially impactful for readers interested in medical history, social justice, or the evolution of healthcare systems.
For readers exploring related informational content or guides like the Insta Gold Install Guide, this book offers a very different but equally important kind of knowledge focus, centered on history, equity, and human impact.
Overall, The Price of Exclusion is an essential read that highlights both the resilience of Black medical pioneers and the ongoing need for reform in healthcare systems.
July 2, 2026
Listening to this audio book was an exceptional experience. The way that Nicole Carr weaved together the journey of her Great Grandfather, history, and today is elite storytelling— as the reader/listener it was a delight to go along for the ride. The way in which history repeats itself within healthcare as it relates to Black Americans is beyond concerning, it’s disheartening and deadly. There is an immense cost for exclusion.
July 26, 2026
I always enjoy learning about history through personal stories. Nicole Carr does an incredible job of telling her great-grandfather’s life story and journey to become a doctor, while weaving in important historical context to show the harmful impacts of racism and segregation for her own ancestor, others like him, and how it is still impacting the medical field today.
Review of advance copy received from Author
Read in preparation for an interview with the author. I’ve lived in North Carolina my entire life and will confess that I knew very little of the history presented about our state in this book. Really important work.
June 24, 2026
This is so beautiful, I love your book!
July 1, 2026
A good book on the state of Healthcare in Black America.
July 14, 2026
A good book on the attempted dissolution of the African American medical profession .
September 16, 2026
An illuminating but discouraging book as it shows a 1 step forward 5 steps back fight against racism.
October 13, 2026
History mixed with memoir to form a beautifully woven storyline across centuries and countries.
October 18, 2026
A phenom topic but at times her timelines and connections between events in the past and those in the present were cloudy and confusing
Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews