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Barbara Hillary
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Barbara Hillary
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Barbara Hillary (June 12, 1931 – November 23, 2019)[1][2] was an American Arctic explorer, nurse, publisher, adventurer, and inspirational speaker. Born in New York City, she attended The New School, from which she earned bachelor's and master's degrees in gerontology. Following her education, she became a nurse as well as founding the Arverne Action Association and the Peninsula Magazine.

Key Information

In 2007 at the age of 75, Hillary became the second known black woman to reach the North Pole.[3] She reached the South Pole in January 2011 at the age of 79, becoming the first African-American woman on record to make it there and simultaneously the first black woman to reach both poles.[4] Following her ventures to the North and South poles she became an inspirational speaker, addressing organizations such as the National Organization for Women.

Having survived breast cancer in her 20s and lung cancer in her 60s, her health began to decline in 2019. After being admitted to a hospital in Far Rockaway, New York, she died on November 23, 2019, at the age of 88.[5]

Personal life

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Hillary was born on June 12, 1931, in New York City in an area now known as the Lincoln Square neighborhood (formerly San Juan Hill, Manhattan).[6] She was raised in Harlem by her mother Viola Jones Hillary, her father having died while she was two.[7] Hillary grew up impoverished—her mother cleaned homes to support the family—but she spent much of her time reading: "there was no such thing as mental poverty in our home."[5] One of her favorite books was the adventure novel Robinson Crusoe.[7] She attended the New School in New York City where she majored in gerontology, earning both her Bachelor of Arts and master's degrees.[5] Following her graduation from the New School, she became a nurse, practicing for 55 years before retiring.

Around 1998, Hillary was diagnosed with lung cancer which required surgery to remove. This surgery resulted in a 25 percent reduction in her breathing capacity. This was her second cancer diagnosis, having been diagnosed with breast cancer in her 20s. She became ill in early 2019 as fluid accumulated in her heart valve.[8] Despite the illness, she still managed to travel to Mongolia to raise awareness of the effects of climate change on societies there.[8][5] After months of declining health, she was hospitalized and later died on November 23, 2019, in Far Rockaway, New York.[5]

Activism

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Hillary was active in her community. She was the founder of the Arverne Action Association, Inc., a group dedicated to improving life in Arverne, New York and the Rockaway Peninsula Community.[5] She was also founder and Editor-in-Chief of The Peninsula Magazine, a non-profit and multi-racial magazine in the New York City borough of Queens. This magazine was the first of its kind in the region.[9] After visiting the poles, Hillary took interest in the effects of climate change on the polar ice caps and the world beyond and took to public lecturing on the topic. In 2019 she traveled to the Mongolian steppe to visit a community whose cultural traditions are threatened by climate change.[5]

Adventurer

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Trips to the North and South poles

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After retiring from nursing, Hillary sought adventure dog-sledding in Quebec and photographing polar bears in Manitoba.[7] When she learned that no black woman had reached the North Pole, she was determined to become the first one to do so.[5] A polar expedition at the time cost around $20,000 and required her to ski, which she had never done before.[7] To raise funds, she sent letters to potential sponsors and took in donations, eventually raising over $25,000 to fund her expedition to the Arctic.[8] To prepare for her journey she took cross-country ski lessons, hired a personal trainer and worked out with weights.[7] On April 23, 2007, at the age of 75, she became one of the oldest people to set foot on the North Pole, and the first black woman.[10][9]

Five years later, she became the first African-American woman on record to stand on the South Pole at age 79, on January 6, 2011.[9]

Following her expeditions, Hillary became an inspirational speaker. She was profiled by NBC News and CNN.com, and gave speeches at various organizations such as the National Organization for Women (NOW).

Hillary dedicated her travel to the North Pole to her mother, Viola Jones Hillary, who moved from the "Low country" of Hilton Head Island, South Carolina to New York City in the 1930s to give Barbara and her sister, Dorothy Hillary Aranda, a chance for a better education. Barbara Hillary's father died when she was only one year old.[9]

Awards and honors

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References

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Barbara Hillary

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Barbara Hillary was an American adventurer and retired nurse known for becoming the first African American woman on record to reach both the North Pole, in 2007 at age 75, and the South Pole, in 2011 at age 79. Her achievements came after a long career in nursing and despite significant health obstacles, including surviving breast cancer in her twenties and lung cancer in her sixties which left her with 25 percent lung capacity. Born in 1931 in New York City's San Juan Hill neighborhood and raised by her widowed mother after her father's early death, Hillary earned bachelor's and master's degrees from the New School specializing in gerontology and worked as a nurse for 55 years before retiring. She founded the Arverne Action Association to improve community life in the Rockaway Peninsula and served as editor-in-chief of Peninsula Magazine, noted as the first racially diverse magazine published by a Black woman. After retirement, she sought new challenges through adventure travel, beginning with dog-sledding in Quebec and photographing polar bears in Manitoba, which sparked her interest in polar exploration when she learned no African American woman had reached the North Pole. With no prior skiing experience—she once noted that cross-country skiing “wasn’t a popular sport in Harlem”—she trained intensively, hired a personal trainer, and independently raised $25,000 through donations to fund her expeditions, overcoming financial hurdles without institutional support. Her successful North Pole trek on April 23, 2007, involved skiing 30 miles from a Norwegian base camp, followed by her South Pole achievement four years later, cementing her as a pioneering figure who defied expectations related to age, race, and health limitations. In her later years, she continued her adventurous spirit, traveling to Outer Mongolia at age 87 to study climate change impacts on nomadic groups. Hillary died on November 23, 2019, at age 88 in Far Rockaway, Queens.

Early Life

Family Background and Childhood

Barbara Hillary was born on June 12, 1931, in Manhattan, New York City, New York, USA. Her mother was Viola Jones Hillary, who had migrated to New York. Her father died when she was two years old. She grew up in Manhattan's Harlem neighborhood. She was later associated with Queens.

Education and Early Influences

Barbara Hillary trained as a nurse at the Bellevue School of Nursing in New York City, where she graduated and qualified as a registered nurse. She later pursued higher education at the New School in New York City, majoring in gerontology and earning both a Bachelor of Arts and a Master's degree in professional studies. Her specialized studies in gerontology directly influenced her professional path in nursing, enabling her to emphasize staff training on the concepts of patient aging and emotional care. These educational experiences established the foundation for her long career in nursing before she turned to polar exploration in retirement.

Professional Career

Nursing Profession

Barbara Hillary developed her professional career in nursing after pursuing higher education in gerontology at The New School University in New York, where she earned both a Bachelor of Arts and a Master’s degree. She leveraged this academic background to focus on staff training in the concepts of patient aging and service delivery systems within nursing homes and comparable facilities. She maintained a successful and extended career as a professional nurse, with multiple accounts describing it as spanning 55 years before her retirement in the mid-2000s. This long tenure in healthcare highlighted her dedication to patient care and gerontological principles, qualities that aligned with the personal resilience she later demonstrated in overcoming significant health challenges and pursuing physically demanding polar expeditions.

Publishing and Editorial Work

Barbara Hillary founded and served as editor-in-chief of The Peninsula Magazine, a non-profit and multi-racial publication based in Queens, New York. The magazine served the Far Rockaway peninsula community and was described as the first of its kind to improve the lives of residents in the Rockaways. It has also been noted as the first multiracial magazine published by a Black woman.

Polar Expeditions

Preparation for Polar Travel

After retiring from her career as a nurse, Barbara Hillary sought new adventures and became fascinated with the polar regions, particularly after discovering that no African American woman had reached the geographic North Pole. This realization motivated her to become the first, driven by a lifelong adventurous spirit, respect for explorer Matthew Henson, and a desire to live meaningfully without regrets. Despite having survived breast cancer in her twenties and lung cancer in her sixties that required lung surgery and reduced her breathing capacity by 25 percent, Hillary remained undeterred by her age or health challenges as she prepared for polar travel. She trained rigorously for nearly a year, lifting weights, hiring a personal trainer to build strength and endurance, and practicing by pulling a tire tied to her waist through the streets of Queens, New York, to simulate hauling supplies across ice. Hillary, who had never skied before, took cross-country ski lessons while also learning snowmobiling and dog sledding in the United States and Canada. She underwent physical assessments and further gearing up in Norway to meet the demands of polar conditions. To fund the endeavor, Hillary raised $25,000 through letters to potential sponsors and community donations.

North Pole Achievement (2007)

In April 2007, at the age of 75, Barbara Hillary became the first African American woman on record to reach the North Pole. She arrived at the geographic North Pole on April 23, 2007, after an expedition that required cross-country skiing for eight to ten hours a day, departing from Longyearbyen, Norway. Upon reaching the Pole, Hillary described experiencing sheer joy and excitement, screaming and jumping up and down for the first few minutes. This accomplishment marked her as one of the oldest individuals to set foot on the North Pole at the time and established a historic milestone for African American representation in polar exploration.

South Pole Achievement (2011)

In January 2011, Barbara Hillary reached the geographic South Pole on January 6 at the age of 79. This achievement made her the first African American woman on record to stand at the South Pole. The expedition completed her historic distinction as the first African American woman to reach both the North Pole and the South Pole.

Public Engagement and Media Presence

Inspirational Speaking and Advocacy

Following her historic expeditions to the North Pole in 2007 and the South Pole in 2011, Barbara Hillary pursued a career as an inspirational speaker, drawing on her experiences to motivate audiences about perseverance, defying age-related expectations, and overcoming significant personal challenges. She delivered speeches to organizations including the National Organization for Women, emphasizing themes of determination and breaking barriers in pursuit of ambitious goals. Hillary's advocacy focused prominently on climate change, inspired by the effects she observed on polar ice caps during her travels. She lectured on the broader impacts of climate change and positioned herself as an advocate for environmental justice, highlighting how environmental degradation disproportionately affects vulnerable communities. In 2019, at age 88, she traveled to Outer Mongolia to visit a nomadic tribe whose traditional rural lifestyle faced threats from climate change, underscoring the global consequences of the crisis. In 2017, as an honorary degree recipient at her alma mater The New School, Hillary delivered a commencement address encouraging graduates to prioritize meaningful choices, stating: “At every phase in your life, look at your options. Please, do not select the boring ones.” Her speaking and advocacy work continued well into her later years, blending personal inspiration with urgent calls to address environmental issues.

Film, Television, and Documentary Appearances

Barbara Hillary appeared in a limited number of television programs and documentaries, always as herself, sharing insights from her groundbreaking polar expeditions and personal resilience. Following her 2007 North Pole achievement, she guest-starred on an episode of The Ellen DeGeneres Show, where she was presented as a 75-year-old North Pole visitor and discussed her historic journey. She later featured as herself in the 2013 documentary C: A Celebration of Life, which profiled individuals navigating cancer survivorship, incorporating her own history as a two-time cancer survivor alongside her adventurous pursuits. These appearances highlighted her inspirational story but remained selective, with no evidence of extensive film or scripted acting roles.

Personal Challenges

Health Battles and Resilience

Barbara Hillary overcame significant health challenges, surviving separate diagnoses of breast cancer and lung cancer. In her 20s, she was treated for breast cancer and recovered successfully. In her 60s, she faced lung cancer, which required surgery to remove a portion of her lung and resulted in a permanent 25 percent reduction in her breathing capacity. These illnesses preceded her retirement from a long nursing career and her later shift toward adventure travel. Despite the lasting physical impact of her lung cancer treatment, Hillary demonstrated remarkable resilience and determination. She refused to allow these health setbacks to limit her ambitions, channeling her recovery into a renewed focus on personal growth and challenging pursuits. Her ability to surmount such serious obstacles became a defining aspect of her character, inspiring others through her example of perseverance in the face of adversity. This resilience proved essential to her later achievements, enabling her to embrace physically demanding activities well into her 70s and beyond despite reduced respiratory function.

Death and Legacy

Final Years and Passing

In her final years, Barbara Hillary resided in Queens, New York City, where she had a long association with the borough. Her health declined significantly in recent months. She died on November 23, 2019, at the age of 88 in a hospital in Far Rockaway, Queens. Her death was announced that same day via her official channels.

Recognition and Impact

Barbara Hillary's pioneering expeditions as the first African American woman to reach both the North Pole and the South Pole earned her recognition as a trailblazer in exploration, particularly for overcoming barriers of race, gender, and age. Her story continues to serve as a powerful example of breaking boundaries in adventure and demonstrating that significant achievements remain possible later in life despite personal challenges.

References

  1. https://www.nytimes.com/2019/11/26/us/barbara-hillary-dead.html
  2. https://iaato.org/blog/unsung-heroes-celebrating-polar-people-of-colour-this-black-history-month
  3. https://www.the-independent.com/news/obituaries/barbara-hillary-death-explorer-north-south-poles-african-american-a9230581.html
  4. https://aaregistry.org/story/16667/
  5. https://www.phillytrib.com/obituaries/barbara-hillary-the-first-black-woman-to-make-it-to-both-the-north-and-south/article_83789843-1207-5fae-aa2d-18895f8fcf13.html
  6. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/barbara-hillary-pioneering-african-american-adventurer-has-died-180973663/
  7. https://sfonline.barnard.edu/ice/hillary_03.htm
  8. https://www.telegraph.co.uk/obituaries/2019/12/03/barbara-hillary-first-african-american-woman-visit-north-pole/
  9. https://blackpast.org/african-american-history/hillary-barbara-1931/
  10. https://amsterdamnews.com/news/2019/12/12/barbara-hillary-first-black-woman-north-and-south/
  11. https://www.unearthwomen.com/barbara-hillary-the-first-black-woman-to-reach-both-poles/
  12. https://www.correyoverton.com/historys-hidden-gem/barbara-hillary-pioneering-the-poles-against-all-odds
  13. https://www.womenofthehall.org/inductee/barbara-hillary/
  14. https://www.arctic-relations.info/rememberingmsbarbarahillary
  15. https://sfonline.barnard.edu/ice/print_hillary.htm
  16. https://blogs.cardiff.ac.uk/arctic-relations/remembering-ms-barbara-hillary-first-african-american-to-reach-the-north-and-south-pole/
  17. https://www.newyorker.com/culture/culture-desk/the-latest-dreams-of-barbara-hillary-the-first-african-american-woman-to-travel-to-the-north-pole
  18. https://historyofblacktravel.com/timeline/barbara-hillary/
  19. https://www.independent.co.uk/news/obituaries/barbara-hillary-death-explorer-north-south-poles-african-american-a9230581.html
  20. https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2642338/
  21. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2640844/
  22. https://www.latimes.com/obituaries/story/2019-11-30/barbara-hillary-the-first-black-woman-to-reach-the-north-and-south-poles-dies
  23. https://www.rockawave.com/articles/the-life-times-of-barbara-hillary/
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