When I read about Tamika Cross, the African-American ob-gyn who says the Delta crew wouldn’t believe she was a doctor during an emergency, an all-too familiar bell rang in my mind. Later in her viral Facebook post, Tamika Cross calls out to her “fellow young, corporate America working women of color”, as she recounts the incident. A few days later, a second Black female doctor came forward with similar allegations against Delta. More fuel to the fire…
Since then, the #whatadoctorlookslike hashtag has taken over social media, as countless women of color are showing support for Tamika Cross by sharing their selfies and stories online.
As a woman of color in Corporate America, this story may also ring a bell (or two) for you. I know it certainly does for me… Like when the bank clerk does a double take when you deposit a large check (it actually happened to this Black woman architect).Or when your name is followed by a professional designation, and you’re asked for your license to prove it, twice, in a row….
Like Cross, many of us are desensitized to these types of situations because we’ve experienced them one time too many. It’s the kind of “implicit bias” that’s sometimes hard to pinpoint, but hurts just as much, if not deeper, than the overt kind. The kind that leaves you perplexed, and wondering how as people, we’ve come to unconsciously and arbitrarily categorize and define certain types of people.
The disturbing reality behind this implicit bias is that many are not even aware they have it. They tend to have pre-conceived ideas about certain groups of people, ideas which may come from their upbringing or what they have been exposed to.
At the end of the day, it may come down to asking ourselves what we believe in, and why we believe what we believe in. To open this Pandora box and start an honest inner conversation to better understand who we are and why we think or do what we do…
The sad reality is that women, especially women of color, have to constantly defend themselves against these stereotypes and implicit biases. Having to prove our worth, competence and qualifications over and over again, whether during an emergency on a plane like Dr. Tamika Cross, in an office, in the street, at the bank or on the sports field.
And it’s exactly why incidents like the one involving Dr. Tamika Cross aboard a Delta flight, which has given rise to a whole awareness movement, are important to help us start the conversation. To help us change the perceptions around not just #whatadoctorlookslike, but what any working woman, regardless of race or cultural affiliation, is capable of achieving….
Have you experienced this implicit bias as a professional woman of color?
The Corporate Sis.
