A Documentary About Black Women In Medicine? The Time is Now.

Image via Black Women in Medicine

In the time of Issa Rae, Shonda Rhimes and Mara Brock Akil, the movement of Black women as content creators in mainstream media cannot be subsided.

With this movement comes a slew of narratives that have too often been overlooked, ignored and overwritten; however for Black women the time to re-write the story is now.

“There’s something very important about films about black women and girls being made by black women,” director Ava DuVernay once shared. She adds, “It’s a different perspective. It is a reflection as opposed to an interpretation.”

Filmmaker Crystal R. Emery is on a mission to further the reflection of the realities of Black women and girls through her documentary, Black Women in Medicine. The documentary website describes the project as the unsung journeys of Black female doctors who have risen above inequality to excellence to become leaders in their fields. The film explores the intersections of race and gender inequities that impact Black women working as physicians. This conversation mirrors one that is happening nationally about the visibility of women of color taking an interest and working in STEM fields.

Image courtesy of Black Women in Medicine

When President Obama addressed the crowd at the United State of Women summit, he spoke  about the need for more diverse narratives. He shared “That’s why we’re encouraging more girls to pursue their love for science, and technology, and engineering, and math. That’s why we’ve highlighted women trailblazers, and encouraged media to depict more examples of women in STEM — because it’s hard to be what you can’t see.”

If there’s anything the Black Women in Medicine project won’t do, it’s shy away from the spotlight as the documentary aims to be a paradigm shift of all sorts. In addition to the goal of expanding the narrative, the project also has it’s sights set on having a television debut and receiving an Academy Award nomination.

Although ambitious the dreams are not impossible, as the project’s indiegogo page has gathered at least 71 backers, who have funded 26% of the campaign. The film has also premiered at the New York City Cinema Village as well as the Laemmle’s Music Hall in Los Angeles, and consider it no accident that both theaters are Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) qualifying cinemas.

Image Courtesy of Black Women in Medicine

When asked about the project, director Crystal R. Emery shared, “When I began “Black Women in Medicine,” I had no idea how big it would get or where it ultimately would take me. I did know, however, that something deep within me, that sacred place where universal mind resides, kept telling me, ‘This story must be told.’”

These stories must be told and the time is now.

If you’d like to support the film visit their website here: http://www.changingthefaceofmedicine.org

You can also watch the trailer below: