The Duke community congregated in the Chapel Tuesday afternoon to celebrate the life of Brenda Armstrong.
Armstrong, who was the second African-American woman to become a board-certified pediatric cardiologist and increased diversity in Duke Medicine as associate dean of admissions, will be remembered by many.
“There had been giants walking the earth, and there is one less today,” said Douglass Coleman, program director of BOOST. Armstrong founded BOOST, a Duke program intended to build interest about science for underrepresented minorities, girls and children from low-income backgrounds.
At the service, people reflected and remarked on Armstrong’s life, achievements and impact on their communities. Speakers included medical and legal professors across the nation, Armstrong's colleagues from Duke and members of the church.
Audience members ranged from students she had mentored to members of the United States Congress to directors of health to runners from her Durham Striders program—an organization that combines educational programing and athletic training.
Armstrong was the associate dean of admissions at Duke Medical School for more than 20 years, where she was also a professor.
Beyond her professional career, she was a prominent activist. She was chairperson of the Afro-American society in 1969 and a leader in the Allen Building Takeover. Throughout her life, she was committed to achieving racial equality, and with that goal, she made Duke's medical school much more diverse.
“She changed the way we look at applicants,” Mary Klotman, dean of Duke Medical School told The Chronicle. “She actively went out and developed relationships and partnerships with undergraduate institutions—some of those were traditionally black colleges and universities—and actively recruited the very best.”
There are young people walking around who have been impacted by Armstrong that don’t even know her name, Coleman added.
At the service, Frank Davis—co-founder and director of the Durham Striders Youth Association—recounted that, although members of the Durham Striders often referred to her as “Coach Doc,” few even knew she was a medical doctor.
Of course, that is not to say that the people Armstrong assisted did not appreciate her.
Ken Lewis, Trinity ‘83 and 2010 candidate for the United States Senate, met Armstrong as a freshman at a meeting of African-American students. There, she spoke about her work in racial equality on campus and encouraged them to pursue excellence in education, remembering the people who fought for them to be at Duke.
“Brenda insisted that we had an obligation to do well and help others,” Lewis said.
Years later, when he returned from law school, Armstrong remembered Lewis from his days as a student. His son was in the track program under her coaching, and she later counseled him as he navigated going to medical school.
“She mentored me, my wife and my son,” Lewis said.
After the service, Coleman said that the main takeaway he gathered was that “when it’s my time, I want to leave this type of legacy."
"You hope that one day when you go, people will remember you like that," he said.
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Maria Morrison is a Trinity senior and a digital strategy director for The Chronicle's 117th volume. She was previously managing editor for Volume 116.