Black History

Ernest Everett Just, NAACP’s First Spingarn Medalist, Approached Experiments with the Eyes of an Artist

As a scientist, it is said that Ernest Everett Just (1883–1941) “saw the whole, where others saw only parts. He noticed details others failed to see” and Dr. Charles Drew had referred to Just as “a biologist of unusual skill and the greatest of our original thinkers in the field.” Such was his reputation as a young scientist, in 1915, he became the NAACP’s first recipient of the Spingarn Medal.

Published

3 years ago

September 10, 2022

Oakland Post

Ernest Everett Just. Wikipedia.org image.

By Tamara Shiloh

Known for his pioneering work in the physiology of development, specifically in fertilization, Ernest Everett Just (1883–1941) was an African American biologist and educator with a legacy of accomplishments that followed him long after his death.

Just was an experimental embryologist, a medical professional specializing in the study of reproduction. He was renowned for his attention to detail in conducting experiments on how sealife and invertebrate species like spiders, worms, lobsters reproduced. He believed also that in conducting research, the surface of cells deserved as much, if not more, study than the nucleus.

He was involved in research at the Marine Biological Laboratory at Woods Hole, Mass., and the Stazione Zoologica in Naples, Italy.

As a scientist, it is said that Just “saw the whole, where others saw only parts. He noticed details others failed to see” and Dr. Charles Drew had referred to Just as “a biologist of unusual skill and the greatest of our original thinkers in the field.”

Such was his reputation as a young scientist, in 1915, he became the NAACP’s first recipient of the Spingarn Medal.

Born in Charleston, S.C., Just’s early education took place in the small school his mother founded and directed. At age 12, he attended the Colored Normal Industrial Agricultural and Mechanics College at Orangeburg (now South Carolina State College). He graduated with a Licentiate of Instruction. This meant he was certified to teach in any Black school in South Carolina. He was 15 at that time.

But Just had no interest in teaching then. Instead. he traveled north with the goal of attending Kimball Union Academy in Meriden, N.H., to study classical music. His focus, however, would change once later enrolling at Dartmouth College where he developed an interest in biology after reading a paper on fertilization and egg development. He graduated in 1907, the only magna cum laude in his class, and soon after joined the English faculty at Howard University.

By 1910, Just was asked to take over the Biology Department, teaching physiology. Soon after, he became the first head of the new Department of Zoology and stopped teaching English courses altogether.

As a scientist, it is said that Just “saw the whole, where others saw only parts. He noticed details others failed to see.”

He persisted in his research despite the discrimination and limitations imposed on him as a Black man.

Just was a Julius Rosenwald Fellow in Biology of the National Research Council (1920–1931). This afforded him the opportunity to work in Europe when racial discrimination hindered his opportunities in the United States. It was also the time when he penned several research papers, including the 1924 publication “General Cytology.”

Just married high school teacher Ethel Highwarden in 1912. The couple had three children prior to their divorce in 1939. He then married Hedwig Schnetzler, a philosophy student he met in Berlin. In 1940, the German Nazis imprisoned Just in a camp. Schnetzler’s father, however, was instrumental in his release.

Just died the following year of pancreatic cancer in Wash., D.C.

Encourage young readers to discover how Just’s keen observations of sea creatures revealed new insights about egg cells and the origins of life in “The Vast Wonder of the World: Biologist Ernest Everett Just” by Melina Mangal and Luisa Uribe.

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Oakland Post: Week of May 21 – 27, 2025

The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of May 21 – 27, 2025

Published

5 days ago

May 25, 2025

Oakland Post

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OPINION: Your Voice and Vote Impact the Quality of Your Health Care

One of the most dangerous developments we’re seeing now? Deep federal cuts are being proposed to Medicaid, the life-saving health insurance program that covers nearly 80 million lower-income individuals nationwide. That is approximately 15 million Californians and about 1 million of the state’s nearly 3 million Black Californians who are at risk of losing their healthcare.

Published

2 weeks ago

May 19, 2025

Oakland Post

Rhonda M. Smith.

By Rhonda M. Smith, Special to California Black Media Partners

Shortly after last year’s election, I hopped into a Lyft and struck up a conversation with the driver. As we talked, the topic inevitably turned to politics. He confidently told me that he didn’t vote — not because he supported Donald Trump, but because he didn’t like Kamala Harris’ résumé. When I asked what exactly he didn’t like, he couldn’t specifically articulate his dislike or point to anything specific. In his words, he “just didn’t like her résumé.”

That moment really hit hard for me. As a Black woman, I’ve lived through enough election cycles to recognize how often uncertainty, misinformation, or political apathy keep people from voting, especially Black voters whose voices are historically left out of the conversation and whose health, economic security, and opportunities are directly impacted by the individual elected to office, and the legislative branches and political parties that push forth their agenda.

That conversation with the Lyft driver reflects a troubling surge in fear-driven politics across our country. We’ve seen White House executive orders gut federal programs meant to help our most vulnerable populations and policies that systematically exclude or harm Black and underserved communities.

One of the most dangerous developments we’re seeing now? Deep federal cuts are being proposed to Medicaid, the life-saving health insurance program that covers nearly 80 million lower-income individuals nationwide. That is approximately 15 million Californians and about 1 million of the state’s nearly 3 million Black Californians who are at risk of losing their healthcare.

Medicaid, called Medi-Cal in California, doesn’t just cover care. It protects individuals and families from medical debt, keeps rural hospitals open, creates jobs, and helps our communities thrive. Simply put; Medicaid is a lifeline for 1 in 5 Black Americans. For many, it’s the only thing standing between them and a medical emergency they can’t afford, especially with the skyrocketing costs of health care. The proposed cuts mean up to 7.2 million Black Americans could lose their healthcare coverage, making it harder for them to receive timely, life-saving care. Cuts to Medicaid would also result in fewer prenatal visits, delayed cancer screenings, unfilled prescriptions, and closures of community clinics. When healthcare is inaccessible or unaffordable, it doesn’t just harm individuals, it weakens entire communities and widens inequities.

The reality is Black Americans already face disproportionately higher rates of poorer health outcomes. Our life expectancy is nearly five years shorter in comparison to White Americans. Black pregnant people are 3.6 times more likely to die during pregnancy or postpartum than their white counterparts.

These policies don’t happen in a vacuum. They are determined by who holds power and who shows up to vote. Showing up amplifies our voices. Taking action and exercising our right to vote is how we express our power.

I urge you to start today. Call your representatives, on both sides of the aisle, and demand they protect Medicaid (Medi-Cal), the Affordable Care Act (Covered CA), and access to food assistance programs, maternal health resources, mental health services, and protect our basic freedoms and human rights. Stay informed, talk to your neighbors and register to vote.

About the Author

Rhonda M. Smith is the Executive Director of the California Black Health Network, a statewide nonprofit dedicated to advancing health equity for all Black Californians.

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IN MEMORIAM: Nate Holden, State Senator and Longtime Los Angeles Councilmember, Dies at 95

Los Angeles County Supervisor Janice Hahn described Holden as “a lion” in the State Senate and a force to be reckoned with on the Los Angeles City Council.” Hahn added that she learned a lot working with Holden when she was a new councilmember.

Published

2 weeks ago

May 19, 2025

Oakland Post

Former Los Angeles Councilmember and California State Sen. Nate Holden. File photo.

By Bo Tefu, California Black Media

Former Los Angeles City Councilmember Nathaniel “Nate” Holden, a prominent figure in the city’s politics, passed away at the age of 95, his family confirmed on May 7.

Holden, who represented South Los Angeles for 16 years on the City Council and served one term in the California State Senate, was widely regarded as a forceful advocate for his community.

Los Angeles County Supervisor Janice Hahn described Holden as “a lion” in the State Senate and a force to be reckoned with on the Los Angeles City Council.”

Hahn added that she learned a lot working with Holden when she was a new councilmember.

Holden’s journey to political prominence began in the segregated South, where he was born in Macon, Georgia, in 1929. He often recalled the childhood moment when he first heard the governor of Georgia vowing to continue suppressing Black people.

“Doing the best you can for the people. Law and order. Make sure that people’s communities are safe. I did it all,” said Holden, reflecting on his legacy.

Holden is survived by his sons, including former California Assemblymember Chris Holden, who represented a district in Southern California that includes Pasadena and Altadena in Los Angeles County and cities in San Bernardino County.