Film Screening - "Black Women in Medicine"

Hailed as “inspiring,” Crystal R. Emery’s documentary Black Women in Medicine shines the spotlight on the tenacious women who have succeeded against all odds in the male-dominated medical field. The Massachusetts premiere of the film will take place Saturday, May 6, at Wellesley College. The film showing is a part of a program running between 9 a.m. and 2 p.m. that is presented by the Greater Boston Diva Docs, a vibrant collective of female physicians of African descent.

The day will include a screening and discussion of the film, led by Emery, followed by three workshops, “Building Bridges: The Power of the Sisterhood,” on exploring how to create bonds between Black and White women in medical professions; “From Conversation to Action,” laying out effective steps to create systemic changes in the medical field and beyond; and “Recruitment and Retention,” to inform the practices of medical-school staff with recruitment and retention duties.

Changing the Face of STEM is a national campaign designed by Emery to encourage women and young people of color to pursue careers in the fields of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). It is an extension of both the film, which recently aired on public television, and of a need to drastically increase the numbers of Blacks in the STEM fields. Currently, fewer than two percent of physicians in the U.S. are African-American women.

Against All Odds: Black Women in Medicine, Emery’s biographical photo-essay book profiling more than 100 spectacular physicians, is a companion piece to the film and is used in the campaign, which brings stars of STEM, including doctors, to schools and colleges as well as community groups across the country — areas where African-Americans are severely underrepresented. At Wellesley, Emery will be joined by Drs. Alice Coombs, Clara Jones, Sharon Marable, Nancy Oriol, Karen Morris- Priester and Ramona Tascoe.

“It’s all about exposure. It’s crucial to introduce young people to ideas and careers early on so that they can begin thinking seriously about their higher education and work life during their formative years,” said Emery. “As former Surgeon General Dr. Joycelyn Elders said, ‘You can’t be what you can’t see.’”

“It is vitally important for all of us to have opportunities for inspiration, encouragement and meaningful connection. This initiative and the documentary are examples of those kinds of opportunities for women of color — whether you are dreaming of medicine, training in medicine or practicing medicine. Those of us who are in these fields have an obligation to nurture and support the next generation of female physicians, leaders, researchers and scholars in medicine and STEM as well as to encourage each other,” said Vanessa Britto, M.D., an internist and director of the Wellesley College Health Service.

Emery, a quadriplegic, has triumphed over two chronic diseases to become an outspoken voice on the intersection between race, gender and disability. She founded URU The Right To Be, Inc., in 1995 to challenge hearts and minds through the arts. Emery’s work has been recognized by the Congressional Black Caucus with the Health Brain Trust Award in Journalism. The event, which includes Q&A and book signing, takes place at Wellesley College’s Diana Chapman Walsh Alumnae Hall Auditorium, 106 Central Street, Wellesley, MA 02481.