Early American Acupuncture & Legacy of Respect

Acupuncture’s Journey to the United States

Many Americans believe acupuncture arrived in the United States after a July 1971 New York Times article by journalist James Reston. While covering preparations for President Richard Nixon’s visit to China, Reston had an emergency appendectomy and later received acupuncture to ease his post-surgery pain.

That article captured the attention of mainstream American readers. But the truth is, acupuncture was already being practiced in the United States long before that story ran. It had been practiced for years in Asian communities across the country and by health practitioners involved in the civil rights movement.

Dr. Tolbert Small: Medicine with a Mission

One of those early pioneers was Dr. Tolbert Small, the first Black physician known to practice acupuncture in the United States. Born in 1942 in Detroit, Small faced countless barriers in his path to becoming a doctor. Yet he persevered, motivated by a deep desire to confront the health injustices and indignities his community endured.

In 1968, he earned his medical degree from Wayne State University School of Medicine and began his residency at Highland Hospital in Oakland, California. The Bay Area in the late 1960s and early 1970s was alive with political energy and activism. As a young, freshly-minted physician, Small approached the Black Panther Party and offered his medical services pro bono. Though he never officially joined the Party, he would go on to direct their George Jackson Free Medical Clinic from 1970 to 1974 and served as the on-call physician for Party members and their families.

Small’s guiding principle was “the promotion of social justice and human dignity.” Through the clinic, he provided free medical care to communities that had long been ignored by mainstream healthcare systems. As Small explained, “There was a need in the community for health care, and the government was not going to provide it. We felt that until we had an appropriate government that would provide health care, that would be a service we would provide.”

Introducing Acupuncture to Community Care

Over time, Small began adding different tools to his medical practice. He became interested in acupuncture, especially as a natural, non-drug option for managing pain. Believing that every person deserved access to safe, affordable, and holistic treatment, he looked for ways to bring these approaches to his community.

In March 1972, Small joined a Black Panther Party delegation to China shortly after Nixon’s visit. There, he learned about China’s Barefoot Doctors—local health workers trained to provide basic medical care in rural areas. He was inspired by this model of community care, as well as by his own experience with acupuncture relieving neck pain during the trip.

When he returned to Oakland, Small taught himself acupuncture through books and practice, eventually offering free treatments through house calls and community clinics. In 1980, he and his wife, Anola Price Small, opened the Harriet Tubman Medical Office, which combined primary care and acupuncture under one roof.

Healing Through Dignity

Over the next five decades, Small treated thousands of patients with compassion and respect, living out the values of dignity through respect, empowerment, communication, and commitment. He constantly searched for better treatments—such as using electroacupuncture to help a patient manage chronic back pain—and believed that “all people are deserving of care.”

He also believed in teaching patients how to care for themselves. Inspired by the Barefoot Doctors, Small believed that “you can teach anything to anybody.” He regularly showed patients simple acupressure techniques so they could relieve pain at home, empowering them to take charge of their own healing. For Small, sharing medical knowledge wasn’t just about treatment; rather, it was about building confidence, independence, and dignity in his community.

While running the Black Panther Party’s clinic, Small also trained community health workers (many of whom had no prior health knowledge or training) to perform pap smears, draw blood and screen for sickle cell anemia. He believed that everyone could learn to contribute to community health if given the chance.

A Legacy of Respect and Empowerment

Dignity is a core concept in nursing, medicine, and the complementary care professions. It means treating every person with respect, compassion, and humanity—no matter their circumstance. Dr. Tolbert Small’s legacy in acupuncture and community medicine is part of a broader, cross-cultural movement for dignity-based care. He showed that medicine is not just about curing illness. Instead, he emphasized that good medicine is about respecting people, empowering communities and ensuring that everyone has access to compassionate care.