A striking portrait of Dr. Alexander Thomas Augusta (1825-1890) was unveiled November 7, 2024 at a celebration held in Seeley Hall, Trinity College, University of Toronto. Dr Augusta was a physician, army officer, hospital administrator, professor, and a life-long activist fighting racism and segregation. He was the first Black officer in the Union Army during the American Civil War, the first Black hospital administrator, and the first Black medical professor in the United States.
Augusta was born in Norfolk, Virginia but arrived in Toronto and enrolled in medicine at Trinity College in 1853 after he was refused admission to medical school in the US. He became the first Black medical student in Canada West and was awarded his medical degree in 1860. While in Toronto, he opened a drugstore on Yonge Street and later a private practice as surgeon. As president of an organization to advance education among the Black community, he provided books and school supplies to Black children. During the American Civil War, he returned to the US and was commissioned as major and served as the first Black physician in the Union Army. In 1868, he was appointed to the faculty of Howard University.
The event celebrating the unveiling of the portrait was a great success thanks to the vision and dedication of Dr Nav Persaud who led the drive to commemorate this important figure. Dr Persaud presented a talk on Dr. Augusta to the Toronto Medical Historical Club last year. Keynote speakers were Professor Heather Butts, author of African American Medicine in Washington, D.C.: Healing the Capital During the Civil War Era and Julian Sher, journalist and author of The North Star: Canada and the Civil War Plots Against Lincoln. Nicholas Terpstra, Provost and Vice-Chancellor of Trinity College, extended a welcome to the guests and spoke of the significance of the placement of the new portrait in Seeley Hall. Dr Modupe Tunde-Byass of Black Physicians of Canada tied Augusta’s story to the challenges faced by those who follow in his path today. Sador Bereketab & Anu Popoola, co-chairs of the Black Medical Students’ Association of the University of Toronto gave a marvellous presentation on the lessons they draw from Augusta’s example and how it inspires their own activism.
The portrait, entitled “Mend,” is by Toronto portrait artist Gordon Shadrach. It shows Dr Augusta extending a hand, a stirring reference to his work as healer and his continual efforts to uplift others. In an eventful week like this, it is good to be reminded of those like Augusta who overcame daunting challenges, and–as Julian Sher explained–when faced with difficult choices, always followed his principles and chose the harder path. Heather Butts reminded us of how important it is to uncover the lives of people such as Dr Augusta if we wish to fully understand our own stories.
