Thereasea Elder
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Thereasea Delerine "T. D." Elder (September 2, 1927 – January 5, 2021)[1] was the first African American public health nurse in Charlotte, North Carolina.[2]
Elder was born Charlotte, North Carolina.[3] She was the sixth child of Booker T. and Odessa Clark. Her father worked as a porter and her mother did domestic work in homes.[1] Elder described her childhood as wonderful, and that her family taught her the value of education and religious faith, which have guided her life and career.[3][1] From a young age Elder knew what she wanted to do, as a result, when she was a student at West Charlotte High School, Elder began working with Charlotte Memorial Hospital. Because of segregation, she remained largely behind the scenes and rarely interacted with patients.[1]
She attended West Charlotte High School during its inaugural year in 1938. After graduating high school, Elder attended Johnson C. Smith University for a year but later transferred to North Carolina Central University to study nursing.[3] Elder described her experience in North Carolina Central University as "eye-opening," because the university provided opportunities for students to serve their community.[3]
