Dr. Mildred Clarke lives her life with clear purpose. She is a pioneer, an advocate and a fierce champion for the equity and advancement of the disadvantaged. From an early age, she wanted to be a doctor but grew up with the understanding that the world around her might not see the scope of her potential. “Little black girls didn’t do medicine, and the closest thing to [becoming a doctor] was nursing,” Dr. Clarke said. By Jr. High School, Dr. Clarke’s love for science (and an extra push from her teacher) determined she would go all the way. She was going to be a doctor. Years later, she attended Howard University Medical School and was one of 6 women in her graduating class. In 1970, Dr. Clarke opened her own Obstetrics and Gynecology practice in Park Slope, becoming one of the first African American woman GYN physicians to own a private practice. For more than 30 years she operated her practice with an eagerness to accommodate the community by keeping her door open late into the evening for working women to access care. Throughout her life, Dr. Clarke has remained committed to giving back. She became a mentor for young women through The American Association of University Women. And in 1999, she was sought out to be on Brooklyn Community Services’ (BCS) Board of Directors. BCS is a human services non-profit with the mission to empower children, youth, adults and families to overcome the obstacles they face and reach their highest potential. “I joined BCS because they were helping the people who society misunderstood. They see the potential in people and that’s what I’m all about” Dr. Clarke sat on the board for about 19 years and played a crucial role in the strategic effort to expand the organizations family services. During her time with BCS, she developed a close relationship with the women at BCS Transitional Living Community (TLC), a 30-bed section of the Brooklyn Women’s Shelter in East New York. She began visiting and conducting educational seminars that touched on reproductive health, Black History Month, voting rights and more. Dr. Clarke believes, “the people that are going through difficulties are the ones that get left behind. Just because you hit a bump in the road doesn’t mean it will stay that way, so let’s prepare the women at TLC for when they need to move forward.” Today, she continues her long legacy of activism through her visits to TLC and annual trips to the Mississippi Delta, where she works in low-income communities as a medical missionary through her church. After 40 years of practice, 5,000 babies delivered and countless lives influenced, Dr. Mildred Clarke is a woman whose impact in NYC and beyond is immeasurable.