Listen, (crowd claps)
not all heroes wear capes.
But this past year, we certainly learned
that many of them wear white coats.
Doctors are among the people who have put their own lives
on the line to save those around them.
However, "The New York Times" reports
that only 5% of American physicians are Black
and only 2% of them are Black women.
And disease does not discriminate,
and nor should the healthcare field.
And that's why a team of doctors
from North Carolina started a foundation,
called White Coats Black Doctors,
to encourage more Black men and women
to study medicine and to provide financial aid
to those Black medical students.
So here to tell us about it are its two founders.
Please welcome Internal Medicine Dr. Jenay Powell
and OB/GYN, Dr. Celeste Green.
(crowd claps)
Hi, ladies!
Hi, thank you so much for having us.
Dr. Powell, what was the moment
that inspired you to just start this foundation?
So back in 2015, a group of medical students traveled
to New Orleans for a medical education conference.
And on our way down there, actually, Dr. Green had the idea
to print up these t-shirts, basically from a mall kiosk,
that had White Coats Black Doctors on it.
Which was the name of our GroupMe
that our medical school class sort of communicated
about things going on at the school.
And so, we had these shirts on and basically it was a way
for us to sort of celebrate our achievements thus far
and sort of let everyone know who we were.
And so, once we all had the shirts on
and we're literally walking down Bourbon Street,
we had bystanders, fellow medical students
that were attending the conference, physicians,
and just other people that kept stopping us and were like,
"Hey, where did you get these t-shirts?
We really love them.
Can we have some, can we buy them?"
And so, we started sort of taking down names and numbers
and figured out how to get the t-shirts out there.
And then, once the money started coming in,
the five of us founders sort of sat down and thought
about what it was that we wanted to do with the money.
And I think all five of us,
being first generation physicians and having looked back
on our road and trajectories into medicine,
really thought that starting this foundation
would be a great way to give back to other young students
like us, which we do in the form of scholarships.
I love that and it just also shows,
if you build it, they will come.
If you put a logo on it, it's real.
And this is just such a great way
to incentivize people to just start.
Dr. Green, why do you think that there is such a lack
of Black women and male doctors?
I think it's a great question and my belief is
that it's really only due to a lack of opportunity
and a lack of support or encouragement.
And it's not just my belief, there's data to support that.
We know that Black students, young students,
school age children, they're more likely
to be at schools with limited resources.
They are less likely to be enrolled
in STEM courses or summer enrichment programs.
That pipeline, as we call it in medicine
and medical education, the pipeline to medical education
is not a very continuous one
when it comes to minority students.
That can be because of lack of opportunity
and lack of access but also, I think
what's hugely important is the lack of support
and lack of encouragement for that little Black girl
or little Black boy who might not see a Black physician
for their entire upbringing.
And then when they go to the doctor as a young adult,
they might not have a Black physician.
And who can they turn to for encouragement
or who can they turn to to say,
"How do I get into your shoes" if they don't see it?
And so for us, for White Coats Black Doctors,
the phrase that I like to say is
that our visibility is our activism.
And so being out in public wearing our t-shirts
and our polos and selling sweatshirts
and all those things, it's not just to make money.
It's to make sure that there are people
who see us and know this is achievable.
(sighs) Well, I mean, you've supported hundreds
of men and women on their way
to wearing white coats like you.
And we actually have a special message
from some of those doctors and medical students
that you've inspired, take a look.
I want to thank White Coats Black Doctors
for allowing me to connect with doctors
that I can relate to and who look like me.
You can't be what you can't see,
and so organizations like White Coats Black Doctors
are so important for increasing representation.
Having that kind of extended support system
is so important.
I wanna thank them for the award back in 2017
that completely covered the cost of my MCAT.
That was a major financial burden
that was lifted off of my shoulders.
The match day is coming up next week,
where I'll actually get to find out
where I'll be starting my career
as the first physician in my family.
Once again, thank you.
Thank you, White Coats Black Doctors,
for valuing my perspective
as a future healthcare administrator.
It is because of my engagement
with White Coats Black Doctors
that I will be the very first Black physician in my family.
Despite everything that's going on with COVID-19,
I would not trade my role as a doctor for the world.
(crowd claps)
I'm looking at all the people in your video and you guys,
you're all so wonderful and beautiful and inspiring,
and you are helping people see it.
And this is so important, what you are doing,
and we're all so inspired by it.
And you're bringing that diversity gap
to the medical field and trying to close it
and give people that visual that they belong, too.
And I wanna thank our producer, Haryana,
who got $5,000 to donate to your foundation
to help support your medical students.
And I wanna match it, so that'll be $10,000
(crowd claps and cheers)
to the White Coats and Black Doctors.
That is incredible.
(stammers) I'm at a loss for words.
Thank you for the opportunity to talk
about this passion project of ours.
It's changed our lives.
For me, it's been probably one
of the biggest things I've ever accomplished
and one of my most proudest accomplishments.
And so, it is really special to be recognized for that.
Thank you.
Of course, and we wanna put White Coats Black Doctors
up on our website, so that if anybody would like to donate
and help further this cause of what Dr. Powell
and Dr. Green are doing, I think this is a vital mission
and I'm blown away by the people that you have had rise up.
You're just incredible.
And we're honored to be able to share the spotlight
with you, shine a light on what you're doing
and help support it, and we wanna continue that.
You're incredible.
(crowd claps and cheers)
Thank you.
Thank you so much.
Thank you so much!
(bright music)