Opinion: Practicing medicine at a predominantly Black institution gave me the gift I didn’t realize I needed
“You have a big voice, Dr. Grubbs,” the clinic manager said.
I flinched. The last time I heard similar words, they were part of a common refrain that I had encountered often. “You’re too direct.” “Too outspoken.” “Intimidating.” Peers who looked like me encouraged me to put my head down, make myself smaller, endure — and never, ever call out racism. This, they insisted, was the pathway to success in a predominantly white, academic medicine institution like those where I spent most of my medical career.
