Ben Carson

Who Is Ben Carson?

Dr. Ben Carson is a renowned neurosurgeon, politician, and author who rose from humble beginnings to achieve extraordinary success. Starting his academic journey as a poor student, Carson overcame significant challenges, earning academic honors and eventually attending medical school. As a physician, he became the director of pediatric neurosurgery at Johns Hopkins Hospital at the age of 33, gaining international recognition for his groundbreaking work in separating conjoined twins. After retiring from medicine in 2013, Carson transitioned into politics, running for the Republican presidential nomination in 2016. Although he withdrew from the race, he became a prominent supporter of Donald Trump and was appointed as the Secretary of the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) under the Trump administration.

Birth and Family Background

Born in Detroit, Michigan, on September 18, 1951, Ben Carson was the second son of Sonya and Robert Solomon Carson. His mother, Sonya, had grown up in Tennessee in a large family and had to leave school after the third grade. At 13, she married Robert, a Baptist minister and factory worker. The couple relocated to Detroit, where they had two children. However, Sonya’s marriage took a difficult turn when she discovered that Robert was a bigamist, with another family. The couple divorced, and Robert moved in with his other family, leaving Sonya and her children in dire financial circumstances.

Influential Mother

Sonya Carson played a pivotal role in Ben Carson’s life, particularly after her divorce. When Ben was 8 and his older brother Curtis was 10, Sonya raised her sons as a single mother. At times, she moved the family to Boston to live with her sister, only to return to Detroit later. Despite the family’s poverty, Sonya worked tirelessly, often juggling multiple jobs to support her children.

As Carson described in his autobiography, his mother was resourceful and frugal, patching up clothes from Goodwill and seeking ways to feed her family by bartering with local farmers. Her resilience and ingenuity were vital in shaping Carson’s character. Sonya also instilled in her sons the belief that anything was possible. Carson, deeply inspired by the medical care he saw during visits to hospitals, dreamed of one day becoming a doctor. He often imagined hearing the call for “Dr. Carson” while observing doctors and nurses at work, a vision that ultimately became a reality.

The Power of Reading

Both Ben Carson and his brother faced significant challenges in school, with Carson falling to the bottom of his class and becoming the target of ridicule from his peers. Determined to change the course of her sons’ education, Sonya Carson imposed strict rules at home: limiting their television time to a few select programs and making sure they completed their homework before going outside to play. She required her sons to read two library books a week and submit written reports, despite her own limited education. At first, Carson resented this rigid schedule, but over time, he developed a love for reading. He discovered that books allowed him to travel to different places, become different people, and experience new things, all from the comfort of his own home.

This newfound passion for reading ignited his curiosity and imagination, leading Carson to dive into literature across various subjects. Even when reading technical texts or encyclopedias, he would picture himself as the central character. His academic focus began to grow, and he started to see his future in a new light, believing that he could one day become the scientist or physician he had always dreamed of becoming. One of his fifth-grade science teachers was the first to encourage Carson’s growing interest in lab work, especially after he was the only student who could identify an obsidian rock sample brought to school.

Within a year, Carson’s academic transformation was evident. He impressed his teachers and classmates with his ability to recall facts and connect what he read at home to his school lessons. However, challenges remained. After receiving a certificate of achievement for being at the top of his class in the eighth grade, Carson faced discrimination from a teacher who openly criticized his success, citing the fact that a Black student had outperformed his white classmates.

At Southwestern High School in Detroit, Carson’s science teachers recognized his potential and became valuable mentors. Despite distractions from outside influences, these educators helped him stay focused on his academic journey.

Anger Issues

Despite his academic achievements, Carson struggled with a violent temper during his childhood. In his autobiography, he recalls incidents where he nearly harmed others, including a violent altercation with his mother over a disagreement about clothes, and an episode in which he almost stabbed a friend during an argument over a radio station. According to Carson, the only reason the tragedy was averted was because the knife blade broke against his friend’s belt buckle. Terrified by his own actions, Carson retreated to the bathroom and prayed, seeking guidance from God to help him control his anger. He found solace in the Book of Proverbs, which led him to realize that much of his anger stemmed from placing himself at the center of his problems.

Burgeoning Surgical Career

Carson graduated with honors from Southwestern High School, where he also became a senior commander in the school’s ROTC program. He went on to earn a full scholarship to Yale University, where he received a B.A. in psychology in 1973. He then enrolled in the University of Michigan School of Medicine with the goal of becoming a neurosurgeon. In 1975, Carson married Lacena “Candy” Rustin, whom he had met at Yale.

Upon earning his medical degree, Carson and his wife moved to Baltimore, where he began his internship at Johns Hopkins University in 1977. His exceptional hand-eye coordination and three-dimensional reasoning skills quickly made him an outstanding surgeon. By 1982, he had risen to the position of chief resident in neurosurgery at Hopkins.

In 1983, Carson received an invitation to work at Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital in Perth, Australia. Though initially reluctant to leave home, he accepted the offer and gained valuable experience in neurosurgery during his year at the hospital. Carson returned to Johns Hopkins in 1984, and by 1985, he was appointed director of pediatric neurosurgery at just 33 years old, making him the youngest person to hold such a position in the United States at the time.

Separating Conjoined Twins

Carson’s reputation as a world-class surgeon grew after he successfully performed a high-profile surgery to separate 7-month-old conjoined twins, Patrick and Benjamin Binder, in 1987. The twins, who were joined at the back of their heads, required a delicate procedure that involved months of preparation and a 22-hour surgery. The operation was considered a groundbreaking success, despite some post-operative complications.

In 1994, Carson’s team traveled to South Africa to separate the Makwaeba twins, but the surgery was unsuccessful, and both girls died from complications. Though devastated, Carson remained committed to his mission and continued to pursue similar surgeries. In 1997, his team successfully separated the Banda twins in Zambia, marking another medical triumph after a grueling 28-hour procedure.

Biggest Medical Challenge

In 2003, Carson faced one of his most challenging surgeries—separating adult conjoined twins, Ladan and Laleh Bijani, who had been joined at the head for 29 years. The twins had lived highly integrated lives but wished to separate in order to pursue independent futures. Despite the inherent risks of performing such a surgery on adult patients, Carson and his team agreed to proceed.

The procedure, which took 52 hours, utilized advanced 3-D imaging techniques to plan the operation. Unfortunately, during the surgery, complications arose, and both women passed away. Carson was deeply affected by their loss, but he noted that their bravery had contributed to the advancement of neurosurgery.

Legacy and Impact

Carson’s unwavering dedication to his patients, combined with his groundbreaking contributions to the field of neurosurgery, earned him numerous accolades, honorary doctorate degrees, and recognition from educational and medical institutions worldwide. He became an advocate for education and helping young people, founding the Carson Scholars Fund in 1994, which provides scholarships to students and promotes literacy. Carson’s life story, from his troubled childhood to his incredible success in the medical field, continues to inspire and motivate people around the world.

Ben Carson: Cancer Diagnosis, Books, and Political Career

In 2002, renowned neurosurgeon Dr. Ben Carson was diagnosed with prostate cancer, forcing him to scale back his intense schedule. Taking an active role in his treatment, Carson reviewed his X-rays and consulted with the surgical team who performed his successful operation. Fully recovered and cancer-free, Carson reshaped his life, prioritizing more time with his wife and three children—Murray, Benjamin Jr., and Rhoeyce.

Despite his recovery, Carson maintained a busy professional life, continuing his surgical work and speaking engagements across the nation. He also became a prolific author, with books such as Gifted Hands (1990), his autobiography, and others like Think Big (1992), The Big Picture (1999), and Take the Risk (2007). These titles delve into his personal philosophies on success, hard work, faith, and lifelong learning.

Carson’s impact was recognized by various prestigious organizations. In 2000, the Library of Congress named him one of its “Living Legends,” and CNN and Time magazine included him in their list of the nation’s top 20 physicians and scientists in 2001. In 2006, he received the Spingarn Medal, the NAACP’s highest honor. The following year, he was awarded the Ford’s Theatre Lincoln Medal by President George W. Bush, and in 2008, he was honored with the Presidential Medal of Freedom. In 2009, his life story was adapted into the television movie Gifted Hands, with actor Cuba Gooding Jr. portraying him.

Political Career and Presidential Run

As Carson shifted his focus toward politics, he emerged as a vocal conservative Republican. In 2012, he published America the Beautiful: Rediscovering What Made This Nation Great. His National Prayer Breakfast speech in 2013, where he openly criticized President Barack Obama’s policies on taxation and healthcare, garnered national attention. That same year, Carson officially retired from his surgical career and joined Fox News as a contributor in October.

Carson’s political influence continued to grow, and in May 2014, he published One Nation: What We Can All Do To Save America’s Future, which became a No. 1 New York Times bestseller. The following year, Carson launched his bid for the Republican presidential nomination. At his announcement rally in Detroit, he declared, “I’m not a politician. I don’t want to be a politician because politicians do what is politically expedient. I want to do what’s right.”

Though Carson’s campaign gained early traction, particularly with evangelical voters, it faced significant challenges. Questions arose regarding his personal history, particularly claims in Gifted Hands about receiving a full scholarship to West Point, which was later proven false. Despite these controversies, Carson remained a formidable contender in the crowded Republican field. However, his campaign failed to gain sustained momentum. After a poor showing on Super Tuesday in March 2016, he officially withdrew from the race on March 2, 2016. Carson then endorsed Donald Trump and became one of his most loyal supporters, stumping for Trump across the country during the election season.

Trump’s victory in the 2016 election led to speculation about Carson’s role in the new administration. Though initially hesitant about joining the government, Carson was nominated by President Trump to serve as Secretary of the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) in December 2016. Despite concerns over his lack of experience in housing, the Senate confirmed his nomination in March 2017.

Secretary of Housing and Urban Development

Carson’s tenure as HUD Secretary was marked by both praise and controversy. His first year in office was relatively quiet, but in 2018, a federal whistleblower complaint surfaced, accusing Carson of overseeing a lavish $31,000 office makeover. Additionally, Carson faced criticism for involving his son, Ben Jr., in department meetings, raising concerns about potential conflicts of interest.

Carson’s management of HUD also faced challenges, as his lack of experience in the housing field complicated his ability to advocate for the department. A 2018 New York Times report revealed issues within HUD, including budget cuts and an inability to advance his ambitious projects, such as centers designed to provide low-income families with access to education, job training, and healthcare.

In response to these challenges, Carson remarked, “There are more complexities here than in brain surgery. Doing this job is going to be a very intricate process.”

Carson continued to face scrutiny throughout his time at HUD, particularly regarding the $31,000 dining room set, for which he had denied direct responsibility, attributing the decision to his wife. Despite these controversies, Carson remained committed to his work and leadership at HUD. In 2019, he announced that he would not seek a second term in the role, expressing his desire to return to the private sector after Trump’s first term.

Legacy and Future

While his political career was marked by setbacks and controversies, Ben Carson’s journey from a pioneering neurosurgeon to a political figure and HUD Secretary reflects his enduring influence in both the medical and political spheres. His life and work, chronicled in numerous books and a biographical film, continue to inspire many, even as he moves forward with new ventures.