We owe it to these two to better our world, to fight against our own biases, and to stand up to racism. If we want to serve others, we need to sincerely respect and value the populations and lives we serve.  RIP.

“But we owe to Alton and Philando, we owe to ourselves and our children, what we have ever been owed: some semblance of life, the inordinate idea that, as long as we draw breath, that life can still improve.” Stacia L. Brown reflects on the killings of Alton Sterling and Philando Castile.

via For Alton. For Philando. For All. — Discover

It’s important to make attempts to understand and see the perspectives of your patients. Read and learn about others–that will broaden your humanity and broaden your ability to best serve your patients.

“How do you explain to someone what it’s like to not have something that you don’t even know exists? It’s like trying to describe silence to someone who has always lived their life beneath a roaring waterfall. They won’t hear the water. They’ll take it for granted. They’ll say, ‘This is silence.’”

via Re-thinking Things Through an Autistic Filter — Discover

On providing care to others even when it is difficult…

As health professionals, we often come across patients who are more difficult to treat than others, be it because of their racist comments or a difficult history you’ve shared with that patient. This is one example of a person who selflessly cared for her mother in her greatest time of need, despite  unimaginable difficulties.

“Despite my resentments over the secrets I had to keep and the care I was obligated to give her growing up — despite anything else at all — she is still my mother.” Jane Demuth writes about her complicated relationship with her mother.

via This Is to Mother You: On Caring for a Toxic Parent in Her Greatest Time of Need — Discover

Another example of a minorities whose identities restrict them from appropriate access to healthcare. Health professionals need to be mindful of these dichotomies and create a space for individuals who are often robbed of proper access to healthcare. People of color with autism….

Steve Silberman, the author of NeuroTribes: The Legacy of Autism and the Future of Neurodiversity, explores the challenges faced by autistic people of color in gaining access to proper health care.

via The Invisibility of Black Autism — Discover