Dear Minority SPT: Part 3 - Black Excellence
Black Excellence is a term used to describe the achievements and successes of black individuals in a society that originally casted black people as inferior beings. While it can be a touchy subject or controversial matter for some, black excellence is celebrated in black family households across the nation where people are achieving milestones that were seemingly unfathomable by the generations that came before us - generations as close as our very own grandparents. The history of
this country made success for black individuals so extremely difficult, that "normal" achievements in today's society for the average American citizen such as graduating from college, were like winning the lottery for a black family. This still holds true today. To achieve what our ancestors endured and fought so hard for is what gives the term black excellence so much weight. To go above and beyond our ancestors wildest dreams is what carries the legacy onward.
Pursuing black excellence is much more than a personal endeavor, it is more so a social responsibility. It is an act of enriching our community by exercising the freedom to use our talents and gifts in a way that inspires those around us and the generations after us to do the same, and even more. It is a fantastic progression that black individuals have the opportunity to pursue professional careers of our choice, such as to become a Doctor of Physical Therapy. However, many of us can identify with the financial, social, and mental barriers that we faced throughout our journey. I personally remember the anxiety of being the only black individual in an interview room of sixty people. I remember feeling an overwhelming rush of hope when I saw that one black doctor of physical therapy sitting behind the group interview table. I remember waiting at the entrance of my third clinical internship and holding back a very loud sigh of relief when my CI opened the door and I saw that she was black, just like me.
Naturally, becoming a Doctor of Physical Therapy, or any doctor for that matter is in the "above and beyond" category for the majority of the black community. If we look at the statistics, according to Data USA, in 2016 just above 4.5% of physical therapists were black, while 80% of physical therapists were white[1]. This statistic may be shocking to some and underwhelming for others, however, as a black physical therapy student it is near impossible to deny the tremendous impact that the lack of representation has when you realize how few of the program directors, professors, and clinical instructors look like you. That statistic is much more frightening. According to CAPTE, 3.26% of the 32,417 enrolled students were black - that equates to about 1,056 black students enrolled in physical therapy school in 2017[2]. Comparatively, in 2017, out of all of the core faculty members recognized by CAPTE, only 73 of the 2900 faculty members were black[2]. For DCEs, only 10 out of the total 339 were black[2]. And for program directors, only 8 out of the 253 were black[2]. Therefore, if a black student finds themselves under the mentorship of a black leader in our profession (at least when it comes to academia)- it's actually a huge deal considering the numbers. If you spread these few black students and black physical therapy academia leaders across the 257 operating physical therapy programs in 2017, the numbers get really thin[2]. It is not unlikely for a black student to finish physical therapy school without ever being taught or mentored by a black physical therapy professor, DCE or program director.
Now that you can see the odds, imagine the butterflies in my stomach at the start of my third clinical internship when I saw that my CI was a black woman. I had no idea that having a black physical therapy mentor was so important to me until I felt the pressure that was on me lift almost immediately when I saw her. Within the first week I began to recognize how similar we were, and I don't mean in skin color. She was exceptionally thorough in everything, including documentation. She caught nearly every single typo that I made in my daily notes, and that was because she read every single note that I ever wrote word for word - sometimes multiple times over. She was famously known as "one of the best" by her colleagues, and also famously known for staying at work well beyond her scheduled hours to make sure all of her tasks are complete. She was heavily involved in patient advocacy, always considering the patient as a whole and going above on beyond to secure the best discharge disposition possible. She even had her own desk in the social workers office.
In my eyes she had no flaws. No one could question the authenticity nor the quality of her work. If she did it, it was done correctly with one hundred percent of her effort. Watching her reminded me of myself, a black student always going above and beyond in everything I do. Obviously, I don't know her motives for being so amazing other than the fact that she loves this profession, as do I. But I know for me, that the desire to exceed expectations also comes from the pressure of being black and society's expectation that black people do not excel in life, let alone in their profession of choice. And if I repeated to her that exact sentence today, I am confident she would understand me. I consider myself blessed and highly favored to have been under her wings as a student. She inspired me. I could talk to her about health disparities and health care issues that affect people of color confidently knowing that she would understand exactly where I am coming from. Because of her, I know that I have to be a clinical instructor too, because some black student out there will need that same relief that I experienced.
I discovered that the APTA had a Department of Minority Affairs while attending the 2017 NEXT Conference in Boston. I was perusing the menu of events and lectures to attend, and at the very bottom I came across an event called the Minority Affairs Reception. I asked my program director if I should go - she strongly encouraged me to check it out. I'm glad I did! It was a small reception, with maybe 15 to 20 people in attendance. One of those people was Dr. Kimberly Varnado, a board certified Orthopedic Clinical Specialist and fellow of the American Academy of Orthopedic Manual Therapists. She is also a bonified black woman. That night, I also learned that she was a recipient of one of the APTA Minority Faculty Scholarship Awards which encouraged me to learn more about the Minority Scholarship Fund myself. We exchanged emails, and she offered herself as a mentor and confidant right away.
I eventually saw her again while sitting in the lobby at the 2018 CSM Conference in New Orleans . It was at this meeting that I learned of all of her phenomenal endeavors that explained her very hectic and busy schedule. At the time, she was in the process of developing her very own physical therapy program. I was floored, and truly ecstatic that I was sitting there talking to her in that moment. Earlier that day I had been told in a lecture that my goals were too big and too broad. Hearing her talk about her goals put that advice to shame. She is now officially the founding Program Director of the Physical Therapy Program at the College of Saint Mary in Omaha, Nebraska. And I am proud to say that she is also officially my physical therapy mentor. As busy as she is, one of her passions is to see black physical therapy students achieve and succeed. I found her at the 2019 CSM Conference in Washington, D.C. talking to every black student she could find at the Minority Affairs Reception about her most recent survey that aims to provide support for the establishment of a mentorship program dedicated to black physical therapy students. I am supporting her one hundred percent and cannot wait to follow her lead and become a mentor for another black student just like she did for me.
I don't necessarily believe in luck, but the opportunity to be mentored by two black female leaders in the physical therapy community is not a common affair. These seemingly rare, isolated, yet wonderfully impactful interactions with black leadership in this profession are nothing but confirmation that we don't just need more black physical therapists -- we need more black physical therapists to realize the power of their influence to inspire, uplift, and encourage black physical therapy students through the pursuit of visible leadership and mentorship opportunities. So I challenge you, if you are a black physical therapist, whether a seasoned veteran or a new graduate, continue to pursue black excellence. Go above and beyond once more, pursue that promotion, be a clinical instructor, start your own private practice, be an active member of the APTA -- be visible. There are black physical therapy students out there who need your inspiration to trail blaze their own path in order to inspire the generations to come.
Data USA: physical therapists. Retrieved from https://datausa.io/profile/soc/291123/#demographics
CAPTE. (2018, March 12). Aggregate program data: 2017-2018 physical therapist education programs fact sheet. Retrieved from http://www.capteonline.org/uploadedFiles/CAPTEorg/About_CAPTE/Resources/Aggregate_Program_Data/AggregateProgramData_PTPrograms.pdf