Was July Black Appreciation Month and No One told Me?!? (Part II)

A month in review.

Unless you have been living under a rock this past month, I am sure you have at least heard rumors about Vogue Italia: The Black Issue. From the moment the rumors landed on my ears, I went on a nonstop search for the illusive magazine. Seriously, I looked like a fiend every time I entered Barnes & Noble. And, every time, they were sold out. Finally, early last week, I was able to snatch (literally) the last copy off the newsstand with victory…persistence is key! Unlike the original print, my copy is shrink-wrapped and reads “First Reprint. The Most Wanted Issue Ever.” Never has a truer statement been made. In both Britain and the US, the magazine has been in high demand, causing reprints of a magazine that usually receives little attention. While I was fortunate enough to pay only $15+ tax for my issue, some newsstands are turning a profit by charging upwards of $25 for the issue, and it has been rumored to be found on Ebay for a whopping $50 (that’s absurd! come on people…get out of your house and go hunting for it).

I must admit, when I first opened my issue, I was a bit disappointed. I had been told that the entire magazine would use only Black models, but much to my surprise, all of the first ads consisted of only White people. In confusion, I double-checked the cover and then flipped to the middle, where my eyes were pleasantly delighted to behold a magnificent 100+ page spread of my beautiful Black sisters. The stellar line-up of models includes Chanel Iman, Tyra Banks, Naomi Campbell, Toccara Jones, Grace Jones, Jourdan Dunn, Liya Kebede, Alek Wek, Pat Cleveland, and Karen Alexander, just to name a few. Photographed by the magnificent Steven Meisel, I think the issue was purely delightful :) I must say, the throwback of old photos and Essence & Ebony covers gave the spread a certain finesse…nicely done! (Though, I personally did not find Naomi’s topless section fashionable…not in the least) I find it odd that outside of the spread, the adverts consisted of only white people. Logically, I assumed that in an issue dedicated to appreciating Black Beauty, ads would likewise reflect this sentiment. Guess I was asking for too much at once?

In a world driven by supply-and-demand, the sales records set by The Black Issue should, in my opinion, greatly help advance a movement in the fashion world towards diversified runways and photo shoots...hopefully. I do believe French Vogue has followed suit with a Black model gracing the cover (but, it is on 1 of 2 covers, with the other one being a White model, aaaand there is only one other photo of a Black girl in the magazine...Do Better, France!). In the past, I have limited my financial supported (i.e. purchases) to magazines such as Ebony and Essence, that depict beauty to which I can relate (think The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison). However, if diversity becomes a trend in fashion magazines, perhaps I shall be divvying up my money between a few more magazines.

Good job Franca Sozzani (editor-in-chief) and Steven Meisel (photographer)!!! I hear sales are up 650+% from the last issue!!! (but why not US vogue?) Aside from the (basically) white-only adverts (where the $$$ is), my only other complaint is that I cannot read Italian :(

Oh, and the fact that the concept for this entire issue was partially spurred by Obama’s victory on the campaign trail: icing on the cake!

Black is Back, Baby!!!

Was July Black Appreciation Month and No One told Me?!? (Part I)

A month in review.

Mid-July, rumors buzzed about an AMA Apology to be published in the July 16^th issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association. An apology from the prestigious medical organization to Black doctors who had been boldly denied admission to many medical societies, and thus limiting their opportunity for advancement… for over 100 years. While there has been much talk about the article, I wanted to read it myself to form my own opinions. However, refusing to pay the ~ $125 membership fee to access the documents online, until I can locate a hard copy elsewhere, I will give my initial impressions based on what I can find.

First, the abstract of the article states,

“Like the nation as a whole, organized medicine in the United States carries a legacy of racial bias and segregation that should be understood and acknowledged. For more than 100 years, many state and local medical societies openly discriminated against black physicians, barring them from membership and from professional support and advancement. The American Medical Association was early and persistent in countenancing this racial segregation. Several key historical episodes demonstrate that many of the decisions and practices that established and maintained medical professional segregation were challenged by black and white physicians, both within and outside organized medicine. The effects of this history have been far reaching for the medical profession and, in particular, the legacy of segregation, bias, and exclusion continues to adversely affect African American physicians and the patients they serve.” Source: http://jama.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/abstract/300/3/306

While this is all nice and good, a series of unanswered questions pop into my head.

First and foremost, what is prompting this apology???
This apology seems to be coming from out of the blue. Is there something going on behind the scenes that we the public are not privy to? Or, is something about to emerge in the near future and the AMA wants to go on record as having apologized for a century of misdoings. Call me a skeptic, but I smell something fishy. Rarely, if ever, do people apologize for a perpetuated sin…unless they foresee punishment.

What are you, the AMA, going to do to rectify the situation?
As the abstract states, “…[it] continues to adversely affect African American physicians and the patients they serve.” So, if it continues to affect people, it is still an issue, which a simple apology will not rectify. I would like to see the AMA supporting the efforts of the NMA (National Medical Association, the African American doctor association).

Who are you?
Ok, I know the AMA stands for the American Medical Association, but really, what do you know about the AMA. I remember a Medical Ethics course I took in undergrad. One of the topics we discussed was the AMA, its function, and how it is looked upon by both sides of the medical community – physicians and patients. Where do I even begin?!? To summarize, the AMA is an organization founded by (surprise, surprise) white male physicians, and historically restricting membership to whites. Most doctors are not even members of the AMA, view it as nothing more than a social organization that collects money and power that remains unshared in the hands of a few. Designed to unite the privileged in the medical community, its aim is to retain a form of (white) power within the profession. It is a money making organization, not necessarily held in high esteem by its peers (hence why a majority of doctors are not members). However, to unsuspecting patients, any good doctor should be a member of the AMA, because to the average patient, what other medical association is known?

Are you really only apologizing to Black doctors?
What about doctors of other non-European descent?!? If the AMA, a predominantly white organization, discriminated openly against African Americans, I am fairly certain they did not greet Latino Americans, Asian Americans, or any other non-Whites with open arms.

And what about the patients affected?!? At the end of the day, by limiting progress of the physician, the AMA has limited service and care to the patients – especially within the African American population. So, while Black doctors certainly deserve an apology, their patients deserve one too. In addition to restrictions placed on physicians of color, many patients of color were also the targets of numerous unethical, unmoral, repulsive studies that members of the AMA willfully conducted within minority communities. Most obviously, there is the infamous Tuskegee Experiment that ran (officially) from 1932 – 1972. And who apologized for that? The AMA? The medical community that sat by and literally let an entire community suffer an die? No. In 1997, President Bill Clinton issued a formal apology on behalf of the United States Government, a good 65 years after initiation of the study. Disgust. Surprising, at least to me, is the amount of non-Black Americans that are ignorant of the existence of this experiment. How many have heard of the Edmunton-Zagred Measles Vaccine or the recent Norplant Experiment in Baltimore? I could go on forever…and it makes me sick. (http://www.naturalnews.com/019189.html for more info)

I have been wanting to read Medical Apartheid: The Dark History of Medical Experimentation on Black Americans from Colonial Times to the Present by Harriet A. Washington (but as I am currently reading about 5 books, I will have to put that on the back burner). I was talking to a friend who had read this book, and she told me that what she was most concerned about reading were the experiments occurring in present-day America, right under our noses. Think about it. Where are most of the major research hospitals and institutions located? Answer: impoverished, uneducated, minority communities. Just think of any top 10 institution. With the exception of one (Princeton, which is not really research-oriented), they are all located in lower socioeconomic areas. Coincidence? I’m not sure… (and yes, sadly my undergraduate institution came up in the book on more than one occasion, causing me to shed a tear)

I really could go on and on about the issues I have with this “apology.” However, for my fingers’ sake, I shall end this discussion here. The apology is accepted and fairly well received, however it needs to be extended and its words must be put into action for it to have true meaning.

An Informal Introduction

Hello all, and welcome to my latest Blog! While my pen name is Dr. Write, I am not a doctor...yet. I am currently studying to (hopefully) become an M.D. one day...just give me a few more years. I am writing this blog more for personal reasons than social - that is, while I appreciate an comments you may have, I am blogging for my own entertainment and self-expression. I love to write and it helps me relax. Plain and simple.

As the title of this blog might suggest, I enjoy commenting on events occurring around me, thus generating a social prognosis of sorts. You may agree with me, you may think I am insensitive, or even an idiot - I do not care. At the end of the day, I am treating this as an experiment of myself. I want to document my thoughts, feelings, and opinions on certain matters. If you find enjoyment or stimulation from it, well...we will consider that an added bonus.

Now, a little more about me. I am an African American female studying to become a doctor. That means I have very little free time. But, I thought that perhaps by blogging, I will be forced to at least attempt to keep up with current events. Eh, its worth a shot (it is free). I graduated from a top 10 university last May, and, like many other young, burnt out students, decided to take some time out to reflect on my tumultuous undergraduate experience, to re-analyze my life, and to just rest. I am currently back in school and have just started the medical school application process...which is both long and tedious...not to mention expensive...any and all donations are welcomed ;) I will be sure to keep you updated on that.

I have had a blog before, and I found it to be a lot of fun, especially when I received stimulating comments from my readers. With that said, Bring It On.