It’s a question I’ve been asking myself as I’ve researched the life of Dr. John Henry Pinkard, one of the city’s most respected herbal practitioners during the early 1900s. While many of us know the names of pastors, educators, and civic leaders who shaped our community, few can name the men and women who once cared for our health, drawing on the wisdom of nature.
Before hospitals became accessible to everyone, healing in many Black communities looked very different. Families often turned to a trusted elder, a midwife, or a neighborhood herbalist before seeking a physician. Grandmothers knew which roots eased a fever. Mothers understood which teas settled a cough. Healers recognized the medicinal value of trees, bark, flowers, and plants growing just beyond the front porch.
This knowledge wasn’t learned in classrooms. It was passed from one generation to the next through observation, experience, and oral tradition.
Like many Indigenous cultures throughout the world, our ancestors understood that healing was about far more than treating illness. It meant restoring balance between the body, mind, spirit, family, community, and the natural world. Prayer, nutrition, movement, rest, and connection to the land were all considered medicine.
One of the greatest examples of this tradition was Dr. John Henry Pinkard. Born in Franklin County, he moved to Roanoke and established his herbal business on Salem Avenue. From his home, he created botanical formulas that attracted people from across Virginia and neighboring states. Long before the words holistic wellness became popular, Pinkard was helping people through a tradition rooted in plants, observation, faith, and service.
His story raises an important question: Was Dr. Pinkard one of the last highly visible traditional healers Roanoke produced?
Black healing traditions were built on resilience. African botanical knowledge blended with Indigenous plant wisdom and, over time, incorporated useful European herbal practices. The result was a uniquely American healing tradition that helped sustain communities when healthcare was often unavailable or unequal.
From an Indigenous perspective, the land itself is medicine. Mountains are more than scenery. Rivers are more than water. Forests are more than places to hike. They are living teachers who remind us of our connection to the Creator and to one another.
That is one reason Roanoke is such a special place. Surrounded by mountains, rivers, streams, and forests, we are blessed with natural spaces that continue to support physical, emotional, and spiritual well-being. These gifts are free, yet many of us overlook them.
Today, more people are returning to herbs, growing gardens, practicing meditation, improving their diets, and spending time outdoors. In many ways, we are rediscovering principles our ancestors never forgot.
Remembering Dr. John Henry Pinkard is not about rejecting modern medicine or living in the past. It is about honoring a forgotten chapter of Roanoke’s history and recognizing that healing has always involved community, culture, faith, and our relationship with the land.
As we build a healthier future, perhaps it is also time to remember those who helped heal our past.
