02/25/2026
Today marks the final Wednesday post in our History of Black EMS series. To close, we want to talk about where we are now; and why this conversation still matters. (It's a long one, so buckle up)
According to a 2019 meta‑analysis published in the National Library of Medicine (PMID 31225772), approximately 5% of newly certified EMTs and 3% of newly certified paramedics were Black. More recent reporting from StatNews suggests those numbers may be closer to 8% and 6.3% respectively. While there has been progress, representation in EMS remains disproportionately low.
That matters.
Modern EMS was shaped by Black pioneers whose contributions were minimized and erased from mainstream history. When stories are lost, representation suffers; and when representation suffers, so can patient outcomes.
The CDC has documented race and ethnicity‑based disparities in EMS care, including differences in stroke recognition, pain assessment and treatment, revascularization rates for heart attacks, door‑to‑treatment times, mortality for STEMI patients, and even response times in predominantly Black and Brown neighborhoods (10% longer).
Workforce diversity alone does not solve systemic inequities; but you cannot fully understand, serve, or improve a community without that community being represented at the table.
At the same time, we must acknowledge the barriers that shape who enters this field.
Generational mistrust of medicine did not develop without cause. The Tuskegee Syphilis Study deliberately withheld treatment from Black men in order to observe the progression of disease. Henrietta Lacks, a Black woman treated at Johns Hopkins in 1951, had her cancer cells taken without her consent. Those cells; known as HeLa cells, became one of the most important tools in modern medicine, contributing to vaccines for polio, HPV, and COVID‑19, as well as advancements in cancer research, gene mapping, IVF, and countless other breakthroughs. Her family did not learn of their impact for decades.
Additionally, EMS has historically been intertwined with law enforcement structures in many communities. Given the complicated and often painful history between policing and Black communities, that association can influence how the profession is perceived.
Systemic issues such as disproportionate discipline, over‑policing, and the school‑to‑prison pipeline also affect who is able to pursue careers that require background checks and fingerprinting.
And finally, for many Black providers, experiences of bias; from patients, institutions, or even colleagues, remain part of the professional landscape.
These are not easy conversations. But they are necessary ones.
Understanding the history of Black EMS is not about assigning blame. It is about recognizing the full story ; the innovation, the erasure, the barriers, and the opportunity for growth.
Black History is EMS history. And the future of EMS depends on who we invite into it.
To learn more about the history of medicine and Black communities we recommend-
Medical Apartheid by Harriet A. Washington
And
The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot
