“Many of us are doing meaningful work on our own, but we are too scattered”

 - Dr. R. F. Boyd, M.D.

Co- Founder and First President,  

National Medical Association (NMA)

Dear Colleague:

The National Medical Association gives physicians of African descent a powerful collective voice—advancing health equity, advocacy, professional growth, and the well-being of the communities we serve.

By reviving the R.F. Boyd Medical Society, we are creating a local home for Black physicians across Middle Tennessee to connect, mentor, lead, and turn shared purpose into meaningful action for our patients, our profession, and our community.

Dr. R.F. Boyd helped shape a legacy of Black medical leadership in Nashville and across the country. Today, we have the opportunity—and the responsibility—to carry that legacy forward by rebuilding a strong, solution-oriented local NMA chapter together.

We invite you to join us in this renewed chapter: to lend your voice, strengthen our network, and help advance the mission of medicine, equity, and service in Middle Tennessee.

Honoring our pioneers means continuing their work—together, with purpose, unity, and action.

For our profession and our community,

Melvin W. Lightford, M.D.
President, R.F. Boyd Medical Society