A Zimbabwean doctor, Tafadzwa Muguwe, has spoken about his experiences of racism, both in the UK and the USA. Here is his story “Whe...
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Here is his story “When I began my unlikely journey from
Zimbabwe to Swarthmore College, I was about as uninitiated as a Black man can
be about racism.
As an intern, I received a page from nursing about a
belligerent elderly white patient who refused to take evening medications until
he spoke to “the doctor.” I walked into the room as staff wrestled him, and the
nurse identified me as the doctor who would address his concerns. The patient
yelled that he did not want to be seen by a Black person and demanded I leave.
I left, humiliated. Despite obvious dementia, the patient — whom I had never
met — betrayed a strong visceral reaction towards me.
A patient’s prejudice can ruin my day but does not override
my sense of duty towards him or her. The prejudice of a peer or authority
figure, on the other hand, is more difficult to navigate.
Early in training, I received feedback from a professor who
remarked, “Internationals like you do well on tests but struggle with clinical
skills.” Ironically, I was receiving credit for testing well, but in the same
breath, the goalposts were shifted. It wasn't the last time I would hear from
this professor, and ultimately, these encounters proved detrimental. I
wondered, what do others with influence believe? How is the institution failing
people like me?
Once, a senior leader praised my team’s presentation then
added, "but you’re different." Is being "different" good or
unwanted? I decided not to ask, lest I exacerbated any concerns. There may have
been nothing in the comment, and indeed, in many others that have given me
pause.
However, over time, I've developed a sensitivity from the
accumulation of these microaggressions. It's a hypersensitivity that leads me
to quickly dissect seemingly innocuous situations. Like the professor who wrote
my recommendation letter, but also confused me with another Black classmate for
years. Or the patient who assumed I was the trainee and my white student was in
charge. Or the patient’s family member who asked if I was "here to pick up
the food tray," despite my doctor’s white coat. “Small” encounters leave
me trying to distinguish simple ignorance from put-downs. It’s never clear-cut
and so I walk through life in an exhausting state of being.
I came to the gradual realization that, far from being
isolated, these experiences revealed deeply held assumptions and attitudes
about me as a Black person. These attitudes constitute the scaffolding that is
structural racism, which manifests daily in the lived realities of Black
people.
I sometimes wonder how I would have turned out if I was
born in the U.S. Frequent subtle and less-subtle messages betray the assumption
that I’m lacking in smarts, untrustworthy or even a threat. These messages
assault the ego, stifle creativity and blunt optimism.
Considering the legacy of slavery, mass incarceration,
segregation, racism in policing and white supremacist ideology, I sincerely
doubt that I could have escaped the unrelenting reach of structural racism in
my early years. Many don’t. I am constantly awed by my African American friends
who have only known this crucible. They are exemplars of brilliance, grace and
resilience in the face of indignities.
Breonna Taylor, Tony McDade, Ahmaud Arbery, George Floyd
and many others killed by the police are today’s visible victims of structural
racism. Countless others are victims to less visible injustices. While it’s
easier to ascribe racism to the heinous actions of a Derek Chauvin or even an
Amy Cooper, there are many ways to be complicit as sponsors or beneficiaries of
unjust structures.
We must dismantle racism in ourselves and all around us.
Black lives depend on it and the health of our society requires it. Doctors
aren’t the only ones who can save lives. wbur,org
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