Charles Drew

Children's Literature

An extremely bright child, Charles Richard Drew was one of 13 African American students in a class of 600 when he began at Amherst College in Massachusetts. He had been recruited on a football scholarship, yet here, as in other predominately white situations, he did not receive the recognition for his scholarship that was his due. Nonetheless, he was determined. He continued to pursue his education and, after becoming the first African American to graduate from Columbia University's medical school, he began to practice as a physician. He earned his wings as an inventor by establishing the first blood bank system in the United States while working for the Red Cross. This biography, which is part of the "Famous Inventors" series, is both a story about a remarkable man and a reflection on the struggles of African Americans to overcome barriers to entry in leading vital lives—lives of integrity—in the United States. The book is illustrated primarily with black-and-white photographs, includes a timeline, glossary, list of additional resources, and an index. Although a minor point, it's too bad there were not more dates included within the text. Offered here in library binding, the book is a good source for a young student's study of Drew or of equal rights in America. 2003, Enslow, Ages 6 to 9.
— Susan Schott Karr