Charles Richard Drew was an African American surgeon who helped improve blood transfusion practices during World War II and contributed to the development of modern-day blood banking. Sometimes called the Father of the Blood Bank, Drew showed that blood plasma, or the liquid component of blood, could be safely separated from whole blood, stored, and used for transfusion. Plasma has several advantages over whole blood, including that it can be stored safely for longer and transported over long distances. Drew’s methods allowed medics to treat thousands of injured Allied soldiers who were suffering from blood loss. Drew was also an advocate for racial desegregation in the United States and fought against the discriminatory blood donation practices of the American Red Cross. Drew’s work made blood transfusions safer and more accessible, which not only helped the Allied war effort in World War II, but also led to improvements in the treatment of complications during childbirth and efforts to reduce maternal mortality rates, particularly among Black women.