listen. learn. act.
I’ve been a little quiet on social media lately, and I’ve missed on some blog posts. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve had plenty that I COULD post about; I just haven’t, and I don’t really have a reason for it.
But I’m here now.
If you read this post a few weeks ago, you’ll notice I used the exact same phrase then as I just did. Yes, that was intentional.
I have been listening and learning:
about American history from different perspectives (I can honestly say I did know a very little bit about Juneteenth because it is my husband’s birthday and we researched it a few years ago!),
about media representation of Black people, of the running community being considered a “White space”,
of healthcare injustice, about definitions and explanations of white privilege vs. racism vs. reverse racism (which doesn’t exist) vs. prejudice.
I participated in the global Bakers Against Racism fundraiser, and Wildhaven Bakery (my other business!) donated almost our ENTIRE gross income from one day at the market to Black Girls Code.
OK, regroup. What I intended this post to be about was my realization and exploration of healthcare inequalities – and admission of my own shortcomings in this area.
In looking through the few textbooks that I still own from physical therapy school, they are filled – almost exclusively – with people who look just like me, with next to no representation of the BIPOC community. When we look at the country as a whole, how does that make sense? Now, anatomy and palpation aren’t really going to differ – but just the mere fact that our textbooks and learning institutions don’t accurately represent the communities we serve as healthcare providers is … disconcerting.
Or how about the fact that we learn that different races are at different risk levels for chronic health conditions? Are they truly at different risk genetically? Or is it because, historically, non-White people don’t have the same access to healthcare resources, and therefore cannot as easily identify and address preventable health conditions?
Let’s take this idea into the context of road racing. Is it a predominantly White arena because Black people are not genetically capable or “wired” for distance running? (Look at the leaderboards to answer that question…) Or is it because, historically, Black adults are unjustly held out of high-paying positions and need to work multiple jobs in order to make ends meet, therefore having less leisure time?
Take a look at what is around you.
No, really, take a look.
Is your house filled with products made by minority groups working in less-than-adequate conditions, or an outwardly White supremacist company? Or can you honestly say that your house – and the things and people in it – is not a full-on product of white privilege?
Change starts with you.
It starts at home. The products you buy, the businesses you support, the words you choose, the media you consume, and the stories you pass on to your children. Systemic racism is all around us, and it’s time to change the conversation.
When your child learns about 2020 in history class, then asks what YOU did in response to the call for action,
how will you respond?