Dr. Susan McKinney (1847-1918) and the Dr. Susan S. McKinney Secondary High School of the Arts at Park Ave and N. Oxford Street in Fort Greene, Brooklyn.

Dr. Susan McKinney, a local Fort Greene doctor, demonstrated incredible passion and drive throughout her life.  Born on a pig farm in 1846, Susan went on to graduate as valedictorian from medical school in 1870 and became the 1st Black female doctor in NY state, and the third in the entire country. The doctor led a very active life in Brooklyn by founding hospitals, opening up a private practice on DeKalb Avenue in Fort Greene, raising two children and serving as an active suffragette.  Her activism and life’s work were renowned and led to many honors, including a eulogy from W.E.B. Du Bois in 1918 and the naming of a local middle school in Fort Greene in her honor.

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