The history of healthcare in North America is one of inequity, higher disease rates, and poorer health outcomes for minoritized patients and populations. Progress on changes to ensure healthcare is more equitable for all has been slow and has seen both improvements and setbacks. These inequities, which impact patients, begin with healthcare professions education. The World Health Organization believes high-quality health is a fundamental right of all humans, and healthcare associations have stated missions to serve all patients equally. And yet neither today’s healthcare professions student body, nor current healthcare professionals, closely represent the demographics of the patient populations they serve. When those demographics more closely align, the patient and provider relationship thrives, and when the healthcare workforce is diverse, teams achieve better outcomes and individuals experience decreased burnout and stress. This chapter provides a brief history and a timeline of the progress made, and some reverses, to achieve greater diversity in healthcare profession students and ultimately the healthcare workforce.