TO THE ISSUE OF SYSTEMIC RACISM AND THE BLACK LIVES MATTER MOVEMENT

This issue of Physician Outlook is dedicated to persons of color, particularly black physicians, who make up only 5% of the doctors in the United States.

We do not know what it feels like to walk in your shoes.

We need to listen more and talk less to understand your perspective. This is what it takes to become “Color Brave.”

In this month’s issue of Physician Outlook, Dr. Lulu (aka “the Moma- trician”) spells out 15 Commandments that will help parents teach their children about racism.

Curtis Webster describes how and why he started the wonderfully sup portive group “Dads Married to Doctors” where male members of all shades and colors unite over their common bond as fathers married to physicians.

Dr. Megan Babb continues her Sekhmet series by shining light on three remarkable women physicians of color who simultaneously aspire and inspire all who they encounter.

Dr. Sarah Rowan’s bravery inspired a website and Instagram page that features breathtaking works of art inspired by women of color on the front lines. The #DoughSomething movement
was started by pastry chefs and cookie artists outside of medicine; Dr. Shruti Desai tells the tale of the crafty kitchen doctors who themselves decided to get involved and “dough something” to show support for the Black Lives Matter movement. Dr. Natalie Newman blesses us with her gift of the written word in her piece “Take A Knee,” and Dr. Poonam Bhatia shares her poetry and art, inspired by current events.

In my article titled “Confessions of a (recovering) Color Coward” I describe how it took seeing my nephews mature into young, black men that made me become less of a coward.

We are more alike than we are different. We are all humans. It’s time we all started behaving that way.