A year ago, the murder of George Floyd lit the fuse on a new phase in the struggle against racism and inequality in the US. Organizations pledged to work on diversity and inclusion. Institutions, including Brown, redoubled their commitments to anti-racist education. Every corporate entity from Amazon to Radio Disney put out a statement avowing #BlackLivesMatter.
At the same time, a global pandemic has been decimating communities of color and stressing the health care system. We wondered, how are our Black physicians faring at this tumultuous time? We asked five alumni representing different graduating classes, specialties, and practice settings what it’s like to be a Black physician today. While they each see racism and inequity through their own individual lens, these essays reveal a common theme: we still have a lot of work to do.