For me, this is personal. No matter how good I am as a doctor, mother, wife, and human being, I can instantly be reduced to one simple word: black--and be judged as that alone. I was taught to work twice as hard and be twice as strong, but it never adds up to being safe in my existence.
The recent killings of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and Ahmaud Arbery have ignited outrage over the deadly impact of racism against black people in the United States. For me and my family, for black friends and colleagues, the heartbreaking reality is that this is normal. We live with some measure of fear and uncertainty every day.
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