Black History Month Spotlight: Brenda Armstrong

“Every year we had registration, she would have a team of med students and doctors to give these kids physicals. [There] might be about 10 in the room, giving these kids physicals. She would ask for volunteers, but almost demand volunteers. They would be out there giving these kids free physicals, and that was done by her. And she kept a record on each kid, the whole thing. She kept and monitored that stuff, and tracked it all the way through the season, [making sure] that everything got better, even though they didn’t have real, real high blood pressure. But all that stuff got better as the season went along, and she kept a record of this. And then, if the kids had any kind of illness, or asthma, anything, she knew about it. [If] they needed medication, she would have medication.”   
 

-Frank Davis speaking about Brenda Armstrong

February is Black History Month! This year will be highlighting four Black people who advocated for racial justice at Duke Health. These individuals were profiled for the recent Bass Connections project “Agents of Change: Portraits of Activism in the History of Duke Health.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. Dr. Armstrong first came to Duke University in 1966 as an undergraduate student. During her tenure, she helped to establish Duke’s Afro-American Society in 1967. While serving as the society’s president in 1969, she helped to organize the takeover of the Allen Building, which she and roughly sixty other students occupied to call attention to the needs of African-American students at Duke. 

After graduating from Duke, she studied at the St. Louis University School of Medicine. Dr. Armstrong returned to Duke in 1979 as a Professor in the Department of Pediatrics for the Duke University School of Medicine. In 1996, she became Associate Dean of Admissions for the School of Medicine, a position that she held for more than twenty years. During her tenure, she played a major role in diversifying the student population of the School of Medicine and is credited with recruiting the most diverse classes in the school’s history. In 2017, she was inducted into the Student National Medical Association’s Hall of Heroes.

Ava Meigs interviewed Delbert Wigfall, MD on February 18, 2024. He was a colleague and close friend to Dr. Armstrong at Duke. In the interview, which primarily focuses on Dr. Brenda Armstrong as a pivotal figure in the history of the Duke University School of Medicine, Dr. Wigfall discusses Armstrong's beginnings in science and medicine, her experiences as one of the few Black physicians at Duke, her work as Associate Dean of Admissions, resistance to her racial equity initiatives, her reputation among patients, and her legacy within the Duke and Durham communities.

In addition to her work at Duke, Dr. Armstrong was also involved in a number of community organizations, notably the Durham Striders Youth Association (DSYA). Ava also interviewed Frank Davis on February 18, 2024. Mr. Davis co-founded the Durham Striders Youth Association in 1977 with Herman Graham and Ralph Bullock. He now serves as the organization’s Head Coach and President. He worked together closely with Dr. Armstrong for 37 years. In the interview, Davis explores the mission and work of the Durham Youth Striders Association (DYSA); Dr. Brenda Armstrong's extensive involvement with the DYSA as a coach, team physician, board member, and fundraiser; notable alumni of the DYSA; and the organization's relationship with Duke.

We encourage to listen to the full interviews and/or read the interview transcripts here:    
https://exhibits.mclibrary.duke.edu/agents-of-change/racial-justice/brenda-armstrong