Black History Month Facts:
Dr. William H. Lawson is the first African American optometrist in the United States and Canada. Dr. William H. Lawson graduated in 1912 from the Toronto School of Optometry in Toronto, Canada.
In 1972, Dr. Marvin Poston was the first African American named “Optometrist of the Year” by the American Optometric Association, the highest professional award from the AOA.
We want to honor our very own Dr. Paula Newsome. Dr. Newsome is the first African-American woman optometrist to open a private practice in North Carolina and owner of Advantage Vision Center. She is also the first African American woman to become a fellow in the American Academy of Optometry.