Celebrating Black History Month

In honor of Black History month this February, we must ensure that we celebrate those whose names have not been widespread in the history books in addition to the well-known leaders of the Civil Rights Movement. The medical field is especially guiltly of failing to acknowledge the important contributions of Black patients and physicians.

One of the most prominent examples is Dr. James Marion Sims and his invasive experiments on Black enslaved women. Dr. Sims is regarded the father of gynecology, however, modern discourse typically ignores his racist and inhumane methods. Before performing his procedures on white women, he would practice on numerous Black women whose names, all except three - Anarcha, Lucy, and Betsey - have been lost to history. He would put these women through painful prodecures over and over again and would not use anesthesia because of the misguided popular belief at the time that Black people experienced pain differently than white people.

While Dr. Sims is honored and highly regarded today, these women have been cast aside and their contributions have gone unnoticed. The injustices Anarcha, Lucy, and Betsey faced are still major issues today. A study from 2018 found that Black patients are overrepresented in clinical trials that do not require informed consent. By acknowleding our past, we can start identifying historical biases that fuel current disparities and work towards remedying them. Medical education must integrate social context into its curriculum and ensure future providers are aware of the burdens medical innovations have placed on vulnerable communities.

Caralyst aims for patients of every race to be equitably represented and regarded in medicine. Patients, especially those that come from marginalized and underrepresented groups, need physicians that can facilitate strong relationships with the healthcare industry and understand how healthcare providers have wronged individuals in the past.