As the Arkansas Director of Health, Dr. Elders spearheaded initiatives to improve public health access and education and pioneered solutions for teen pregnancy in an overwhelming conservative state, which laid the groundwork for her historic appointment as Surgeon General. On the national stage, she became known for her outspoken advocacy of sexual health education, reproductive rights, and the prevention of unintended pregnancies through contraception. Though her views were often labeled "controversial" at the time, they were rooted in medical consensus, common sense, and compassion, challenging cultural taboos that often kept communities silent. But because these opinions were being voiced by a Black woman, Dr. Elders found herself a target of more political vitriol than had ever before been directed towards a position previously considered largely apolitical, eventually resulting in her forced resignation. 

Dr. Elders' tenure marked a turning point in how public health could confront uncomfortable truths. Healer offers an opportunity to revisit her considerable achievements in a new light — breaking barriers of public ignorance and inspiring new generations to embrace honesty, equity, and healing.