Tell me a little about your background. A thought question for some direction: What identities do you occupy, and how do these identities influence your interaction with the world? 

 

I am the daughter to two very supportive Jamaican immigrant parents, making me a first generation American (Jamaican-American, if you want to get specific). Even though I prefer to say that I am Caribbean-American (because it's more accurate of my household childhood experiences), I am constantly labeled and connected somewhat to the African-American identity. I also identify as a cis-gendered straight female that has also impacted how I interact with the world. The main identity that has altered my life on countless occasions is, of course, my race and gender. When I was very young I used to be very talkative and active. As soon as I got to grade school I would constantly be told that I was disrupting the class or talking too much during class. This led to teachers assuming that I was not paying attention or had any interest in school. This subsequently led to them telling my parents that I may be struggling in school when I just started (pre-K). This continued throughout school and it led to some in school visits from my parents and some early detentions. Additionally, I would sometimes be told that I have limits in my academic achievements by teachers, but these were things I never took to heart because my parents always told me otherwise. It wasn’t until middle school when my peers began to complain about my loud and outspoken behaviors and actions was when I began to remove myself from my identity and consequently my true self. One of the main parts of my life now is reconnecting with myself and accepting that who I was before was not actually a problem.

 

Additionally, I have also had very interesting interaction within the black community when discussing the differences in experiences of the various parts of the African diaspora. There are of course cultural differences like the food we eat and the traditional games we play which are influenced by our upbringing. However, what has most impacted how I interact with the world is how all of us view different portions of the diaspora. There seems to be a social disconnect between those who may be very far removed from their country origin which brings up a point of contention between those within the community. This also introduces an insecurity in those who want to understand their cultural roots but cannot. Within a community that is already “othered” this can be very isolating and part of the reason I continue to understand my cultural roots now is because of this fear of mine. When I was younger it was out of pure curiosity why I wanted to speak patois,  now it is driven by social connection and belonging.

 

A key point in this project is the process of “othering”—a sociological phenomenon that is perpetuated by the majority group, enhancing feelings of difference among minority individuals. What is your experience with this, if any. How about within the medical space (with school, research, etc.)?

 

Kind of touched on this in the last paragraph of the last question but to expand on it a bit, a lot of the reason that African American individuals can sometimes feel disconnected from their cultural roots has to do with the history of racism in America (as always). White individuals have gone to great lengths to try to erase the history and culture of African Americans. They also (and still do) painted Africa as a deplorable place that one should not be proud of being from. This has led to African-American individuals over the years to disconnect from cultural roots which can get passed on in generations. This can then lead to African-Americans who struggle to connect with the majority group (just due to the identity and color of their skin) and struggle to connect with their cultural roots and in turn the black community. 

 

In the medical space, the best example I can give is affirmative action. During my time at Rutgers I have had a multitude of conversations from those from other minority groups (usually not minorities in medicine) that have expressed their disapproval of black and latinx populations having an “easier” path to medical school in comparison to them. This further splits the minority groups within the medical field and the reason for this can all go back to the systemic/institutionalized racism in place that makes it so difficult for black/latinx populations to go to medical school, which were put in place by the majority group. I have felt somewhat hesitant at times to talk about this topic with other minority groups which is the opposite of what I feel I should probably be doing.

 

Can you imagine a future where students of minority identities can thrive and are supported, especially by our institutions? What does this look like?  

​

Honestly, no or at least I struggle to. I can see a future where it is much better than this though.

 

For example, when “stop asian hate” was at the peak of its media coverage last year one institution opted to move exams and offer open counseling sessions (who identified as part of the asian community) for those who needed it during that time. This was done by the majority group, not asked for by the minority group, and it was offered for a significant amount of time. That is what support to me looks like. The minority group doesn’t have to expend extra energy to bring it to the attention of the majority group, and a safe space is held by/for the minority group. It is also not a one time event (not performative), it is carried over for a long period of time. If this is done consistently when events like this occur, I would say that is support.

 

Additionally, the staff at the institution has to reflect the student body they have/want to achieve. This is why I struggle to imagine that wonderful institution because of how difficult it seems to be to have a diverse staff at various medical institutions. Times are changing but they seem to be changing and an extremely slow rate.

 

What does it mean for you to occupy this space as a medical student—in SKMC and beyond? 

Occupying this space illustrates how much work needs to be done to increase the diversity of the student body at SKMC and beyond because I am a privileged, middle-class, cis-gendered black woman that was able to enter medical school. Medicine needs to be occupied by more folks that are not privileged who can actually start speaking on many of the topics of cultural competency and diversity/inclusion that we strive to talk about. 

 

Finally, I’d like to leave space for celebration of yourself and others— feel free to share any affirmations/last thoughts here. 

 

I am dummy excited to be here, even though I question my abilities every day.

​