Ilene Corina on Black History Month

WANTAGH, N.Y. - March 1, 2020 - PRLog -- February was Black History Month, a time to celebrate the accomplishments of African Americans and the important roles black people have held throughout our country.

Have you ever heard someone say, "I didn't notice you were black"? What a disservice we do to others when we don't even notice the color of their skin: we may miss out on finding out what it's like to be them.

In my early years as a patient advocate, I didn't think it mattered until I stood at the bedside and watched white nurses fussing over a white patient and somewhat ignoring a black patient.

Another time, as I sat in a room of thirty black people while my friend and colleague, a black nurse, did a Pulse presentation, I will never forget how someone said something completely inappropriate for the topic, and because I felt like the awkward "minority" in the room, I kept silent and didn't correct her. The only reason was because of the color of my skin. My friend said to me with a smile, "Now you know how it feels."

I was in a room of people who all looked different from me. Though it shouldn't have mattered, my behavior was different.

This should never matter, but it does. When someone looks different we might think their beliefs are different or their upbringing is different and that might be true; still, we can respect each other, like each other and love each other even with these differences. We need to be sure we are looking into each other's hearts and being curious about others. Don't assume you know what they need or what their life has been like – no matter what their skin color is and if it is different, reach out even further and learn from them. Greatness comes in all colors. We need to honor that. I hope this reminder helps.

11 African Americans Who Made Medical History   https://www.auamed.org/blog/african-american-doctors/

Top 25 Minority Executives in Healthcare for 2016 https://www.modernhealthcare.com/article/20160213/MAGAZIN...

12 Leaders in Nursing and Medicine To Honor This Black History Month   https://nurse.org/articles/black-history-month-nursing-leaders/

68 African American leaders in healthcare | 2019Why America Needs More Black Doctors  https://www.usnews.com/news/healthiest-communities/articles/2018-08-31/why-america-needs-more-black-doctors

68 African American leaders in healthcare | 2019
https://www.beckershospitalreview.com/lists/69-african-american-leaders-in-healthcare-2019.html

After decades of effort, African-American enrollment in medical school still lags   https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/health/2019/02/28/medical-school-student-african-american-enrollment-black-doctors-health-disparity/2841925002/