#NotSoulless

-Dr. Leonard Muse (aka “Doc”)

"Much has changed in the 60 years since Doc Muse first opened the doors of the Green Valley Pharmacy in Arlington County.

Back then, Northern Virginia pharmacies sent African American customers to the back door for their orders and purchases, he recalled. But Muse’s store, opened in 1952 in the heart of the black community of Nauck, treated those same customers with respect. Over time, the pharmacy would become known as the shop where you could get a fair deal and, when necessary, a little help.

The pharmacy was recently named a local historic landmark, and Muse was recognized as an example of “the triumph of the spirit and the indomitable will of one man.””

Dr. Leonard Muse has been serving the black community in Arlington Virginia since 1952. He is the oldest pharmacist in the state at 90 and a WW2 veteran. He and a business partner, Waverly Jones, opened Green Valley in 1952 when they realized no existing pharmacy in the county would serve or treat African-Americans properly. Dr. Muse became the sole proprietor of the store in 1955. Even today, the doc is sharp as a knife and always active around the store.

Doc has always stood in the background of his community supporting locals in their times of need. Today, the pharmacy is busy as ever while also serving as a popular meeting ground for the neighborhood.

(via amicuzzo)