Ken: My first question would be: Can you tell me 3 things about you? Can be anything.
Greg: Sure thing. Sorry if it sounds generic and orientation-ish.
1) I'm a 22-year old Black male, a recent Clemson University graduate, and I'm from Blythewood, SC.
2) My hobbies include sports, reading, music, movies, food, traveling, thinking, sleeping, the usual.
3) Similar to your story in a previous post, I too got in trouble in grade school for poor penmanship. In fact, that was the first time I ever earned a "B+" on my report card. SideNote: I wonder if that's a common experience amongst docs.
Ken: Haha, nice. It sounds great. So let's get right into it. I've been interested in this for a while, but never really knew how to approach it. How can non-black people support black history month?
Greg: Very interesting question.
Black History is American History. Black History is Human History. Black History is World History. Everyone can support Black History Month. I'm glad you asked this. I think the first step to enlightenment is having the curiosity. The next step, more challenging: ask the questions, seek the knowledge, read the literature. Don't be offensive, but at the same time don't be afraid to ask difficult questions. That's what diversity is all about: growing from each other's experiences.
The goal of Black History Month is to enlighten all people of the contributions of African-Americans throughout history. Black History is special because, it's an underdog story. Many racial backgrounds have had to endure struggle to achieve equality, but slavery was one of the worst injustices in human history. Black people were literally property. And even after the Emancipation Proclamation was signed, and after the Civil Rights Acts were passed, many would argue that Black people are still suffering some of the after-effects of slavery today.
The real thing to take away from Black History Month is to acknowledge the pursuit of excellence, despite the odds. Truth, humanity, and reason prevailed over the injustice, prejudice and adversity. Black people still have a long way to go in the US and all over the world: there are racial disparities in health, life expectancy, education level and income. I can't turn a blind eye to that, but Black History Month for me, is just a reminder to never give up hope, regardless of how harsh the situation may seem. And also to never forget the struggles that Black people have had (still have) to overcome.
K: So the last thing you mention, "the struggles that Black people still have to overcome." Tell me more about that.
G: Racial Profiling is real. Chicago's Death Toll is real. Black on black violence is real (and doesn't get much media attention). The prison system is disproportionately filled with black and brown people. Poverty is disproportionately brown/black. Health(care) disparities are real. I can go on and on....
We're all human, and we judge people. Even in medical school, we're taught not to have preconceived notions about patients, but at the same time, certain assumptions may help you understand a patient's story and eventually help to make an accurate diagnosis. "Stereotypes don't exist if there's no validity to them." I don't 100% agree with that quote but many people subscribe to that ideology. It's just unfortunate that Black people are labeled with negative stereotypes: dangerous, unintelligent, loud, lazy, etc..
Most of the racism that we see today is institutionalized. I know that there are still KKKlansmen and people who throw around racial slurs. However, for the most part, people like black people... as long as we stay in our roles: everyone loves Jay-Z and LeBron, but some people are not OK with having a Black boss. White privilege still exists, but many people (of all races) don't realize it.
Something that most people don't think about is how "hyper-vigilant," being conscious of all of these things can make Black people feel. In an academic/professional setting, a challenge that I personally deal with is proving myself. Of course, everyone's trying to perform at the highest level, but as a Black person sometimes you feel an added incentive to do well: 1) because just 50-60 years ago, it wasn't possible for people that look like me to be here, 2) because other people may assume that I earned a spot because of affirmative action and I want to prove them wrong and 3) because there is a "shortage" of URM's in certain positions and I want to be an inspiration to the next generation so that in the future, there is no shortage.
We all know the statistics. We all know that racism, slavery, and the struggle for civil rights can be the blame for the current situation of "Blacks in America," but those events cannot be undone. We can never forget these tragedies, but in the spirit of Black History Month, we as a human race must press forward for a better tomorrow.
K: Any final thoughts you want your class to know about you?
G: Yes, Black people have problems, but what group of humans doesn't? We're not as bad as people think we are. I'm not gonna say "Don't judge," but I will say "Don't condescend!"
Thanks again for the opportunity Ken, and to the readers: continue to have this discourse about race, worldviews, sexual orientation, politics, law, socioeconmics, morals, healthcare, whatever. Of course, your closest friends are going to probably have similar views as your own, but continue to diversify yourself. Hate to get all FPC-ish, but having random discussions is important especially since hardly any of us will be regularly attending class next year & 3rd/4th year, we'll be on the wards, so now's a good time to have these conversations with your fellow classmates that you wouldn't normally interact with. It's a vital part of growing to be a better physician and a better human being.
Allow me to end this with with a cookie-cutter, Hallmark card quote: "What unites us is far greater than what divides us" -JFK
Alright, that's pretty much all I've got. Until next time... Shine your light on the world.
K: preach.
See you on the other side,
from ken
taking requests for future blog posts. please comment or email.
Keep doing these interviews Ken. They're my favorite part of your blog.
ReplyDeleteYeah I agree. I don't know how I should feel that the most interesting part of my blog is when other people talk, but it's totally true.
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