JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — A love of science, the love of his life and the support of community are the reasons why Dr. Charles McIntosh says he has been able to continuously break down barriers in his profession.
“I have a whole lot of firsts," said McIntosh as he pointed to walls filled with accolades.
"The first African American to sit on the Florida Board of Medical Examiners," the 94-year-old humbly bragged. "Gov. Askew appointed me the first time and Bob Graham the second four years."
The first African American pediatrician in Jacksonville continues to help young people realize and bring to life their dreams. His legacy goes far beyond family.
"This is Charles McIntosh I," McIntosh said while holding a photo of his grandfather. "He's number one. I'm number three. I'm quite sure he'd be proud. These people had virtually no education at all. They were slaves."
McIntosh III has achieved what his ancestors, who were blinded by enslavement, couldn't see.
He graduated among the class of 1948 from Florida A & M University and went on to get a master’s degree in biology from New York University and an M.D. at Meharry Medical College. He accomplished all of this in spite of the racial oppression seen and felt at the time.
"We all understood that we were in a segregated situation, and we accepted that," McIntosh said. "Fortunately, we had good teachers. They made sure to identify those students who had that potential and ignited that will to overcome. And we did."
He grew up in Jacksonville at a time when "separate but equal" was the order of the day.
"When you're denied privileges, when you're denied access, when you're constantly being led to believe that you are less of a person, when you wake up each day knowing that I am Black and I am going to be treated as such is a burden ... too much," McIntosh said as he shook his head.
The burdens he withstood didn't deter the pioneer in sickle cell research. McIntosh would go on to open his private practice in pediatrics in Jacksonville in 1958. He served on the Florida Ethics Commission and helped found the Florida Sickle Cell Foundation in 1973. In December of 2005, the UF Health Pediatric Sickle Cell Disease Center was named in his honor.
He has received numerous awards over the years but says The Silver Beaver from the Boy Scouts means the most to him. It's the highest volunteer award that you can receive on a local level.
There's a community center set to be built as a tribute to him on Moncrief Road called the "Dr. Charles B. McIntosh Community Achievement Center." It's a collaborative effort between the Kappa Alpha Psi Jacksonville Foundation and Wolfson Children's Hospital.
"None of this could have been possible without Anne," McIntosh said.
He credits his wife's support for his achievements.
"This is the third year of her passing," McIntosh said with his head briefly held down. "On Valentine's Day. This was my Valentine's Day present. Sitting at the breakfast table during a conversation, I noticed that she was not responding. And after a while it became obvious that she was not here. Now that was an experience and what I have to look forward to every Valentine’s Day."
Weeks from his 95th birthday McIntosh is able to smile through loss, reflect with a clear mind and forge forward with purpose.
"I'm just hoping what I do and how I do it is inspiring to young folks in particular," McIntosh said. "I'm really interested in helping youth find themselves and find a place for themselves to become good citizens."