How “I Can’t Speak” Paves the Way to “I Can’t Breathe.”

My Message for Amanda Calhoun, MD, MPH

Photo by olena ivanova on Unsplash

This morning in my Twitter feed, I found a clear articulation by Amanda Calhoun, MD, MPH of the crushing, daily challenge of being both a Black woman physician and a resident, on a lower rung of the medical education hierarchy but more knowledgeable about systemic racism that her faculty. It is obvious how disinterest, discomfort, and ignorance she encounters when she tells the honest version of her internship experience or tries to deepen the quality of discussion about the roots of health problems in systemic racism amplify her distress and sense of being invisible. It is tempting and can even feel necessary to protect our position, the toehold we have, to conform in ways that cause us to abandon ourselves and what we know and care about. This is the most destructive and insidious form of oppression, when we take it in and risk losing ourselves as part of professional indoctrination. Here's my message to smart, strong Dr. Calhoun: When we value each voice, the whole of humanity heals and we dismantle systems of oppression at every level--from overarching racism to educational and medical cultures that silence people. "I can't speak" paves the way to "I can't breathe." So keep speaking up, Amanda. Shine your light. Illuminate the path. This may prove to be the most important healing work you do—for yourself and everyone else—in the whole career ahead of you.