As we celebrate Black History Month this month and prepare to celebrate Women’s History Month in March, I am thankful for the opportunity to reflect on my experience as a woman of color.
2016 was a year of notable achievements for women of color, even more so for black women. Such achievements placed a new spin on the phrase “Black Girls are Magic” (now shortened to “Black Girl Magic”), a phrase coined by CaShawn Thompson in 2013. The hashtag #BlackGirlMagic could be found trending on Twitter or “liked” on Facebook, not to mention other social media outlets. The phrase simultaneously embodies and celebrates the accomplishments, excellence and resiliency of black girls and women. Some highlights include:
Beauty
- Deshuana Barber, an officer in the U.S. Army Reserves, won Miss USA, becoming the ninth black woman to win the title.
- Black women flaunted their natural hair during the 2016 Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show.
Business
- Mikaila Ulmer, at the young age of 11, signed an $11 million contract with Whole Foods to advertise and sell BeeSweet Lemonade in Whole Foods.
- An all-female African-American flight crew traveled from Atlanta to Nashville for the first time.
Sports
- U.S. gymnast Simone Biles became the first female U.S. gymnast to win four gold medals at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio.
- Tennis star Serena Williams won her seventh Wimbledon title.
Politics
- According to History, Art and Archives, the U.S. Congress has placed a record number of black women in congress over the past couple of years.
- Lastly, ex-first Lady Michelle Obama, for being Michelle Obama.
“Black Girl Magic” in Medicine?
While we celebrate the accomplishments of black women in various areas, I wonder if “Black Girl Magic” has caught on within medicine.
Many of you may recall the story of Dr. Tamika Cross. She posted to her Facebook account on Oct. 9, 2016, about an unfortunate event on Delta flight DL945. While in mid-air, a patient on board the flight needed immediate medical attention; however, her ability to come to the aide of the passenger was impeded because she didn’t provide “credentials” that she was a physician. Yet, a white male was able to assist the passenger without, seemingly, providing credentials that he was a physician; however, Delta Airlines spokesperson stated that the man did provide credentials. Nonetheless, proving capabilities to be a good clinician is not only something that black female doctors and residents have to be worried about while out of uniform and out of the medical setting … it even happens while we are at work.
During the recent resident interview season I recollect that one of the black female applicants asked me if the medical community accepted me wearing my hair natural. She further confessed that she was taking things like that into consideration when making her decision about where to go to residency. As with most applicants, she was looking for a place where she would not feel socially isolated. My answer to the applicant was, “Acceptance of my hairstyle, or the way that I look, for that matter, should not determine if I am a good clinician or not.”
The question made me ponder, though, why a seemingly trivial reason to choose where to train and work matters; yet it does. The fact of the matter is that how one is perceived and treated is something every trainee/doctor considers when choosing a place to work. The real question is therefore not about hair, but about belonging and acceptance. And I do feel accepted in the Duke Family Medicine Residency Program.
What is the Depth of the Problem?
The Journal of the National Medical Association published an article in 2006 entitled “In the Minority: Black Physicians in Residency and their Experiences.” This was a qualitative study, which asked open-ended questions to 19 minority residents (nine being women). The objective of the study was to “describe black residents’ perception of the impact of race on medical training.”
The four most common themes were: blatant and subtle forms of discrimination (from faculty, staff and patients); differing expectation (ex. belief that more severe punishment was given to minority residents than majority residents for similar mistakes); social isolation (ex. discomfort in social conversations because of differences in social lives, not being invited to outings, and so forth); and consequences (ex. thinking about leaving medical training or emotional consequences like damaged sense of self and being on guard all the time, just to name a few).
Though the article is dated, these conversations have not subsided. I have had the opportunity to serve as a moderator of the Minority Round Table at the American Academy of Family Physicians’ national conference for medical students and residents (once in 2012, then again in 2016) where some of these topics resurfaced. And although the authors of the study reviewed the experiences of men and women, I have participated in conversations concerning the added issues many women providers face: family pressures, pay disparity and competition with male counterparts (particularly in surgical fields).
“Black Girl Magic” Throughout Medical History
Despite the challenges, hope remains, and “black girl magic” persists in the annals of history. And just like the recent examples, there are many notable black women doctors who have paved the way.
- Dr. Regina Benjamin: former U.S. Surgeon General/family practitioner
- Dr. Rebecca Lee Crumpler: In 1860, Crumpler was the first black woman to earn an M.D./provided care to poor women and children
- Dr. Helen Octavia Dickens: First black woman fellow of the American College of Surgeons/OB-GYN
- Dr. Alexa Canady: First black woman neurosurgeon
- Dr. Jocelyn Elders: First black woman U.S Surgeon General/pediatric endocrinologist
- Dr. Mae C. Jemison: First black woman in space (she was briefly a general practitioner)
- Dr. Claudia Thomas: First black woman orthopedic surgeon
- Dr. Velma Scantlebury: First black woman transplant surgeon
“Black Girl Magic” Challenge
All of the women of color mentioned (and others that are not mentioned), serve as positive role models for many young women of color, including myself. Furthermore, they have demonstrated that it is important for all perspectives to be understood. So let us spice up medicine with a little “Black Girl Magic” or, better yet, a little “magic” for all!
I challenge those in the medical community to think of ways in which we could better understand and respect the perspectives of all the wonderful groups that add diversity to our growing field.
Kenetra Hix is a second-year resident with the Duke Family Medicine Residency Program. Email kenetra.hix@duke.edu with questions.
Editor’s note: Duke Family Medicine residents guest blog every month. Blogs represent the opinion of the author, not the Duke Family Medicine Residency Program, the Department of Community and Family Medicine, the Duke University School of Medicine, or Duke University.