Dr. LeRoy Vaughn (second row) with his staff.

Inglewood is home to one of the most renowned ophthalmologists and black historians. Until now, many people may not have been aware of his presence. Dr. Leroy William Vaughn practices eye care at 323 North Prairie Ave, Suite 217 in Inglewood 90301. He is a diabetic eye specialist and well known for his work regarding glaucoma too. He has received many awards over the years, one of which was from former President Bill Clinton thanking him for his service to patients.

Dr. Vaughn has acquired many titles over the years: doctor, historian and African Chief. He received a Bachelors of Science degree at Morehouse College in Atlanta, GA, before going on to acquire a medical degree at Wayne State University in Detroit, MI. He interned at North Carolina Memorial Hospital and never ceased to slow in his practices once he started. So how did Dr. Vaughn become such a dynamic person?

A part of this story started in the 1990s. He was recognized in the field of history for his 2002 book, Black People And Their Place In World History. He has been studying black history since the 1960s and is very knowledgeable in black people’s true place in history.

Dr. Vaughn became an African Chief after he made trips to Nigeria to provide free eye care to villages that had no such services. His most recent ventures to Nigeria lasted three consecutive years until 2008. During his two-week visits, he would travel from village to village working with patients. At times the facilities at which he worked had minimal equipment, and he was forced to improvise. He would find himself using flashlights and the anesthesia he brought on his own to perform surgery on patients. Despite the long days he found himself enjoying the company of the locals and helping them with their eye conditions. Each village has a leader, and they were very appreciative of what Dr.Vaughn and his team would accomplish. He was granted the title of African Chief for all his hard work and selfless acts.

The trips he made to Nigeria were sponsored by the Anambra State Association (ASA) / USA Medical Missions. He would receive donations from companies that would sell him medication for his personal practice. In addition to venturing overseas to help those in need, Dr. Vaughn also had most of his staff members go on his most recent trip with him to help provide eye care. The country provided room and board, but staff members were responsible for paying for their own vaccinations and airfare, which easily added up to several thousands of dollars.

Having his staff on hand made the process easier for Dr. Vaughn; he was able to see more patients on a daily basis. Some of the villages they visited included Abagana, Onitsha and Ihalia. Going to Anambra State in southeast Nigeria was not an easy decision to make. Throughout the entire trip the doctor and his team had to have with them a guard armed with a machine gun. Despite the existence of danger Dr. Vaughn enjoys helping those in need.

Despite the costs and security concerns, Dr. Vaughn remains jubilant in his work.
“Providing free eye aid is a great experience. Volunteering can be addictive because of the euphoria you get from helping people. It’s a rewarding feeling to help people that don’t get that type of aid regularly. I would love to help more, but I have an office to run and I can’t pay the bills giving away everything for free.”

Dr. Leroy Vaughn is a true hero, and we applaud his on-going efforts to help those in need as well as his endeavors to help maintain the history of a people who have a rich one.

For more information, please visit the website at www.LeroyVaughnMD.com.