The COVID-19 crisis continues to keep the country at the edge of its seat. We are washing our hands, making Ankara print face masks, and some of us are making our first accounts on Tik Tok (shout out to the Savage challenge, the See A Shot, Send A Shot Challenge, The Push-Up Challenge, The Savage Challenge, The Flip the Switch Challenge….the list goes on and on because we know how to keep ourselves and our community entertained!).
At the end of the day, nobody takes care of our community like we do.
Now, I love my boy Anderson Cooper and don’t get me started on the Cuomo family. When I heard that Chris Cuomo contracted COVID-19, I was not only stressed out for my homie Chris. But, I was stressed out for my Italian Uncle Andrew Cuomo and their mother.
Of course, there is my absolutely day one, Dr. Sanjay Gupta of CNN.
I will go toe to toe with anyone who tries to come for Dr. Gupta.
(Is there a name for his fan base? #GuptaGang? #GuptaGoons? Someone let me know!)
But, as much as I love these wonderful doctors and journalists, none of them look like me.
The Black community is dealing with the COVID-19 crisis in a much different way than the rest of America.
Our fathers, mothers, uncles, aunts, and cousins are on the front lines as essential workers.
Many of our family members are working paycheck to paycheck and cannot afford to or have the capability to work from home.
With that, I need to hear the melanated perspectives on COVID-19.
Dr. Patrice Brown, MD
Dr. Patrice Brown, MD who is the President of the American Medical Association, which is the largest association of physicians and medical students within the United States. It’s a big deal that Dr. Brown is now president of this organization. The American Medical Association was not the nicest organization to Black physicians back in the day (read: blatantly racist and exclusive). But, now they have a Black woman at the helm as their leader (during a national pandemic no less!) so we have to give Dr. Brown her props. You can find Dr. Brown on CNN giving much-needed commentary on how the COVID-19 is affecting healthcare workers on the front lines. As a psychiatrist, she also emphasizes the importance of staying connected (Zoom happy hour y’all?).
Dr. Earl Campbell
To be honest, I don’t exactly remember when or why I started following Dr. Campbell. But, all I know is that I don’t regret my decision to hit that follow button. Dr. Campbell is my Jamaican (big ups!) older cousin in my head and is a professional comedian in his own right. If you are trying to trade your “code-switch” laugh for an actual Black laugh, follow this man immediately. Also, I know nobody asked but this is my COVID-19 related favorite post.
Dr. Shirlene Obuobi
She is an internal medicine resident and an amazing cartoonist that is just a “little jaded” about her journey through residency. Her most recent comics bring into the world of COVID-19 fashion and throws a little bit of shade at the different styles of wearing personal protective equipment in the hospital. If you are a medical student reading this, look through her other comics to see her draw her way through her MS3 year.
What are some other Black physicians that are helping you through the COVID crisis?
Comments
Loading…