Lessons in Injustice: My Mother’s Medical Climb

In her impactful book "Legacy: A Black Physician Reckons With Racism in Medicine," Dr. Uché Blackstock honors her late mother, Dr. Dale Gloria Blackstock. A Harvard-educated physician, Dr. Dale dedicated her life to serving patients at Kings County Hospital in Brooklyn. Her path, however, was marred by systemic racism and challenges prevalent in a healthcare system often unfriendly to individuals of her heritage. Dr. Uché notes that interactions with her mother extended beyond medical assessments; they embodied genuine compassion for the entirety of a patient's being.Dr. Dale, the first in her family to attend college, faced isolation in predominantly white environments, prompting introspection during her first day at Harvard. The legacy of marginalized Black medical institutions, particularly following the damaging Flexner Report of 1910, led to significant disparities in available Black physicians. Dr. Uché emphasizes the urgent necessity for proactive measures to enhance accessibility and inclusivity within medical education, ensuring future generations of Black doctors can flourish.