Sometimes it’s the small discoveries that make the biggest difference.
A couple of years ago, while looking through our archives for the 100th anniversary of Children’s Minnesota, my team found a photo from the 1960s that made us pause. It showed Lois Young, a Black nurse, leading a training of white nurses at our St. Paul hospital. In a sea of archival photos showing mostly white staff, Lois stood out.
At the time we didn’t know much about her. We learned from old newspaper articles that Young began her career at our hospital as a staff nurse, then was promoted to director of in-service education. The continuing education program Young developed for our hospital staff earned a national reputation for excellence.
All this information was enough to include Lois in this blog about the history of diversity, equity and inclusion at Children’s Minnesota, but there were still many gaps.
We knew much more about the world in which Lois accomplished all this. During her lifetime, Black people in Minnesota faced racism and discrimination in nearly every aspect their lives. And, while Lois was working at our St. Paul hospital, a historically Black, thriving St. Paul neighborhood called Rondo was being bulldozed a few blocks away, to make way for I-94.
The Lois Young Legacy Internship Program
The photo of Lois sparked some real reflection. We wanted to do more than just share Lois’ story. We wanted to make sure her influence continued. That’s why we decided to name our summer equity internship program after her.
The Lois Young Legacy Internship Program offers both clinical and nonclinical experiences for high school and college students. It helps open pathways for young people from a variety of backgrounds to future careers at Children’s Minnesota, an important step in delivering exceptional care for our patients and families.
Since launching our internship program in 2020, more than 100 students have completed it.
One of the first Black nurses in Minnesota
Lois’s daughter Brenda continues to help us learn even more about her mom. Brenda says Lois was the fourth Black nurse in Minnesota. Lois was also likely one of the only Black employees at Children’s Minnesota in our early years.
Brenda also shared more about her mom’s early history. Lois was born in 1925 in Crossett, Arkansas. For the sake of better educational opportunities, she went to live with her grandmother in Uniontown, Alabama. Brenda shared stories about Lois studying by the light of a single oil lamp in her grandmother’s two-room house, a powerful example of Lois’ commitment to education even when resources were scarce.
Lois always knew she wanted to become a nurse, and that focus carried her through her school years, despite the challenges of segregation and limited opportunities. Learning more about her background helped us fully appreciate the determination and resilience she brought to everything she did.
Lois went on to attend Spelman College before transferring to Tuskegee Institute, where she earned her nursing degree with honors in 1948. Lois joined Children’s Minnesota in 1953 and eventually became director of in-service education. She created training programs for staff and spent 25 years helping patients and families here. Brenda also shared that Lois was deeply committed to helping others outside of work – whether that meant teaching young mothers about nutrition or talking with neighborhood kids about their goals and dreams.
Lois passed away in 2023, at the age of 97.
Why Lois matters
We’re grateful we got the chance to learn more about Lois Young’s life. We’re even more grateful to be able to honor her. The Lois Young Legacy Internship Program is more than just a name change; it’s a commitment to recognizing the difference one person can make. By naming our internship after her, young people will learn what it means to work hard, care for others and make space for everyone, no matter where they come from.
Thanks to Lois, and to Brenda for sharing her mom’s story, we’re a little wiser about where we’ve been, and a little more hopeful about where we’re going.
James Burroughs
Senior vice president, government and community relations, chief equity and inclusion officer
James Burroughs joined Children’s Minnesota as its first chief equity and inclusion officer in 2019. He is responsible for advancing equity and inclusion in all parts of the organization.
Follow James on LinkedIn.
