WellSpan’s “Black Men in White Coats” event seeks to inspire young people

There are so many possibilities – so many opportunities.

I grew up in rural South Carolina in a town of no more than eight thousand people. Neither of my parents finished high school. I am the youngest of seven children. Several of my siblings have gone on to careers in education and this has helped ground me in important concepts like math and science.

I am thinking specifically of two of my sisters as math and chemistry teachers. I remember being fascinated by math and science, because of the impact they had at home on their careers. It unknowingly inspired me to understand that I could explore that possibility, too, because I’d seen my sisters, capable women of color, women of color, take their chances.

When you get older and don’t see others who seem to work in certain professions, it stands to reason that you can’t imagine yourself working in that profession either. It can be a vicious cycle. The more reason why it is critical we inspire our youth in their early development.

I had the opportunity to work with Dr. Dale Okorododu, founder of the Black Men in White Coats initiative, when I was on the faculty at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas. We share a similar passion for addressing the concern that many young black people don’t see themselves on the path to success. How do we instill this confidence in them? Dr. Dale often says that children “should be able to see something.” promote it Something It often requires education and guidance from a young age.