Scrolling Through Sickness: Why We Need More Black and Brown Bodies in Medical Textbooks

Hey everyone, and welcome to my first blog post! My name is Maxine Okonkwo, and I'm a passionate leader in personalized medicine for the African diaspora. For as long as I can remember, I've been fascinated by the intricate dance between our genes and our health. That fascination led me on a journey through academia and the world of biotech, where I earned my stripes in genetics, public health, and immunology. (Think fancy degrees like a Master of Science in Immunology and Microbiology from Johns Hopkins and a Bachelor of Science in Biology from Rutgers. Knowledge is power, people!)

But my passion goes way beyond the science itself. What truly fires me up is empowering people of African descent to take charge of their well-being. You see, for too long, the healthcare system hasn't exactly reflected the beautiful diversity of our community. We deserve to see ourselves represented in medical resources, not left scrolling through a mirror universe! That's why I'm so excited to be diving deep into this topic with you.

So, buckle up and get ready to talk about why representation matters in healthcare, how it impacts Black and Brown communities, and what we can do to create a more equitable system for everyone. Let's break down barriers and get healthy together! PS (The image above was not created by me, I do not own any rights to the image)

• #BlackHealthMatters

• #HealthcareEquity

• #DiversityInMedicine

• #RepresentationMatters

• #MedicalRacism