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Diversity initiatives often resist & ignore the hard work of helping Black people recover from racial trauma at work.
Last night, 3 Black women physicians shared how they all endured investigations with HR b/c they were reported by White women staff who “felt uncomfortable“.
Last night, 3 Black women physicians shared how they all endured investigations with HR b/c they were reported by White women staff who “felt uncomfortable“.
Two of the women had the same story. The women staff refused to address them as doctor like the White doctors and both initially ignored it. When they finally told the staff, HR contacted them & said they were reported to be threatening.
Speaking up made them angry & aggressive.
Speaking up made them angry & aggressive.
Another spoke about how she disagreed & questioned a treatment plan proposed by a White woman doctor and the patient had a bad outcome.
While dealing with the guilt that she should’ve advocated more, she was contacted by HR that her actions to her colleague were unprofessional.
While dealing with the guilt that she should’ve advocated more, she was contacted by HR that her actions to her colleague were unprofessional.
One left her workplace and no longer works as employed staff, the other two are still employed in these places where they are now being persecuted.
These situations keep many Black women physicians afraid to speak. Harm goes ignored, it is normalized and deemed unimportant.
These situations keep many Black women physicians afraid to speak. Harm goes ignored, it is normalized and deemed unimportant.
We have evidence that Black doctors matter, especially in the protection of the lives of Black patients. These situations cumulate and lead to Black doctors having to choose between medicine and their mental health.
The percentage of physicians who are Black has not risen in over a century. Daily, I talk to Black women in medicine to help them reclaim their power, but it’s hard. We invest our time to medicine and are forced to leave unless we remain small, self-sacrificial & silent.
Often, the challenge for many Black doctors is practicing medicine in a way that is not designed to serve patients who look like them.
When Black physicians aren’t able to practice safely in medicine, our advocacy and protection of the communities we serve is limited.
When Black physicians aren’t able to practice safely in medicine, our advocacy and protection of the communities we serve is limited.
So stop the trainings to just complete checklists. Stop the statements to just keep up appearances.
Retaliation against women who speak is violence.
Until diversity, equity, inclusion & justice translate into safety, reform & accountability, they’re empty words to many of us.
Retaliation against women who speak is violence.
Until diversity, equity, inclusion & justice translate into safety, reform & accountability, they’re empty words to many of us.
Let’s put it this way, when it comes to those who allow unsafe healthcare systems to go unchecked yet want to condemn police violence and how it threatens the lives of Black people...
those in glass houses shouldn’t throw stones.
those in glass houses shouldn’t throw stones.
