Overcoming Fear: Untold Stories of Black Women in Medicine
Words tell a narrative, yet there are parts missing from stories untold that capture the hearts of women who have gone before us, having taken a leap to move forward without fear. Have you ever wondered who has contributed to the medicine of today? Women are being overlooked in the healthcare industry, and it’s a place where women face many obstacles and sadly silence their voices, specifically Black women.
Jasmine Brown took notice of her personal experience in facing a backlash that did not give weight to her voice in a way it could matter. Her unheard voice became ambushed with personal microaggressions that made her feel unwelcome in the medical and scientific spaces.
With her ambition, Jasmine focused her time at Oxford on researching and highlighting the experience of Black women in medicine. She was inspired after finding hardly any scholarly work that focused on Black women physicians. Her recent book Twice as Hard: The Stories of Black Women Who Fought to Become Physicians from the Civil War to the 21st Century highlights the accomplishments of Black women in medicine. Jasmine gives insight into the social and structural barriers that prevented Black women from entering medicine in the United States. It is greatly a representation of a phoenix in regards to Black women whose legacy is strong but may have been buried through history scorn.
While completing her research, she visited libraries at many prestigious medical schools and found a large book on Black physicians that had over 100 profiles. She was inspired to see Edith Irby Jones, the first Black student of any gender to integrate into a southern medical school, and Jocelyn Elders, the first Black woman to serve as U.S. Surgeon General. Although stories were not heard while in school, it ignited a spark of inspiration for her to tell more such stories in a book.
“I felt privileged to have had the opportunity to learn about these women while I was at Oxford,” Jasmine explained. “I wanted young people facing obstacles of their own to be able to learn about these Black women and to find hope in their stories.” Jasmine’s aim is to increase the representation of Black women in medicine. Her book helps to raise awareness of underrepresented minorities who have an impact on medicine.
Regina Murden is an educator, inspired Bible teacher, and writer. Her purpose is to encourage women to experience the joy of a fulfilled life. She knows this can only come from a close relationship with God. She currently resides in Memphis, TN. She takes long walks, love horseback riding, and enjoy traveling.