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Blogs Inside the Iceberg Color Me Healthy by Robert Williams (revisited) | Color Me Healthy by Robert Williams (revisited) |
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| Written by Rob Williams | |
| Monday, 10 March 2008 | |
Now, in this same situation if the homeless woman is African American I would still give, but I can assure you that I could probably find an extra dollar or two to spare as well as an inspiring word and a prayer for better days to come. You see the difference in the treatment of the two women who are for the most part, in the same condition but in different skin. Am I a racist? No, not at all, but I do however react to implicit and innate traits that lead me to pick my race over another. I am happy and excited about the fact that I was able to go to school with African Americans who set high goals and are attending top medical schools so that we can correct these immoral acts and save lives, regardless of the shade one is colored. However, they could easily fall prey to the same emotions that lead Caucasian doctors to give preferential treatment to their own. My prayer is that I am forever healthy and vibrant so that the fate of Rob Williams will never lie in the hands of a sweaty handed White man.
Comments
(5)
Parkay, you are a funny, funny guy...But real talk, at the end of the day race matters and we all hold certain biases. If I had to choose between giving a white homless person or a black homeless person a dollar, I would definitely give it to the black person. Mainly because I feel that I have an obligation to help my own race, but also because I know most people will refuse to give him/her money because they are black. But as a doctor you are subject to a code of ethics and if you admit preferential treatment to whites over blacks, that's medical racial profiling as far as I'm concerned.
Good point Rob. I never really thought of it in those terms before. I think it's important to take note that first off, we do have these bias. Only then can we work on ways to improve our mindset so that we won't be in a situation that we could be treated differently and it can affect our lives based soley on our skin color.
The first step to any solution in acknowledgment. I know that my biases guide many of my decisions, consciously and subconsciously. I try to reverse my thinking, but it's not easy. So how do you begin to change decades of teachings--help your brother/talented tenth? I mean everyone else is helping those that looks like themselves, so why can't I? It should balance everything out
Parkay, you have some great points. You share smiliar thoughts with many other African Americans. African Americans who pursue careers in medicine have an innate desire to take care of their own--not the latinos, caucasians, asians, etc. When I get my M.D. and gain a few years of professional experience, I plan practice and eventually run my own clinic in a underserved AFRICAN AMERICAN community. Why?...These people are the most neglected by society in general and I have a responsibility to tackle these issues with my education and God-given talents. We have to help ourselves because nobody else will. On the flip side, white people (and people of other races/ethnicities) have that same mentality. SUPPORT YOUR OWN. This explains their success: the success of Asian-run businesses in black communities; or members of white families that inherit unimagniable wealth.
Yes this is a free country of "equal opportunity", but don't expect help from "the man" because even though he acts like he wants to help...he doesn't (however, a few actually do). So don't be shocked or angry about these issues. Instead, we have to be better about supporting our fellow black people and find ways to improve our current state in society which is one of disorder and disunity.
"frank" - nice allusion to catch me if you can. Yours is a voice of division, and as you continue to speak in such a vein, racism and division will persist. YOUR OWN is not an inclusive phrase, but rather, exclusive. Until you include other races in what it means to be a part of your own, how should, or why would, they seek to help it. You've been shutting them out all this time.
You say the "man" won't help. Maybe "a man" hasn't helped you, but it happens every day. Google Tom Cousins and see how the East Lake Community was ridded of crime and drugs, new homes and job opportunities were created, all built around a historic golf course. Tom is a self-made millionaire. He is also white. He spent half of his personal fortune on people he didn't know, not to mention people he didn't know of a different race. More so than that, he rallied around the historically exclusive sport of golf. I worked at this golf club. I know first hand what a difference it made, and continues to make. My final thought is that you seem to be under the impression that other races get all sorts of free hand outs. Hate to break it to you. We don't. Copyright 2007. All Rights Reserved.       |
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| Last Updated ( Monday, 10 March 2008 ) |
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