Joycelyn Elders, MD, is a physician and public health official who served as U.S. surgeon general from 1993-94, and was the first African American and the second woman to serve in this position. During her tenure as surgeon general, Elders focused on several big health issues, including tobacco-related disease, AIDS, and alcohol and drug abuse, and continued her advocacy for sex education. Her progressive views on sex education and treatment of addiction drew criticism from more conservative members of the government, resulting in her resignation in 1994. Since then, Elders has served as a faculty researcher at the University of Arkansas and has continued lecturing on public health issues. Most recently, she has shifted her focus to advocating for racial equality in medicine, participating in the Black Women in Medicine project that aims to inspire the next generation of Black women to enter the field. In 2020, she was part of the Time 100 Women of the Year project, recognizing trailblazing women of the past century who were often overlooked.