The fallout of racial segregation was seen across every aspect of life in the United States. Across states, segregated facilities existed for washrooms, schools, restaurants, buses, trains, etc. (Urofsky 2024). These laws also prohibited interracial marriage (Urofsky 2024). Racial segregation also found its way into hospitals. Segregation policies extended even to blood, with "coloured blood" deemed unfit to be used on Caucasians, while "white blood" was considered applicable to anyone (Zimmerman 2022).

Living in a time with such significant challenges and divisions, Charles Drew fought an uphill battle against systemic racism throughout his entire career and academic life. He became an esteemed medical professional; his accomplishments, which would already have been difficult for any student to achieve from a purely academic standpoint, were made much more impressive by the fact that he not only faced the same academic challenges as all other students but also met them alongside a system wrought with social hindrances. Prestigious institutions and the entire system of higher education at the time were structured to stonewall or impede African Americans. For instance, Drew was initially accepted into Harvard, but with the stipulation he deferred his admission by 1 year. One of the most prestigious institutions in the world had a policy of segregation at the time. Because of these policies, African Americans had to take separate classes, and furthermore, the school had a significantly lower number of slots for people of colour. Charles would have had to wait for the next cycle to begin his studies, so he refused to attend altogether (The Charles ... [date unknown]).