Writing Prompt: Creating Space

I have been taking a break from online media (blogging, Twitter, Facebook, etc.) for the past few weeks in order to determine how I can be a better ally for black Americans and use my, however meager, influence to amplify their voices.  One of the ways I identified was to share their writing as examples of narrative works worthy of consideration and reflection (see also this writing prompt based on a beautiful poem by Dr. Alexandra Sims).

This week, that work is a piece by Dr. Kimberly Manning, who is a med-peds trained assistant professor in the Department of Medicine at Emory University School of Medicine who is also a prolific writer who has been extensively published and who regularly blogs at www.gradydoctor.com.  Dr. Manning’s writing is thought-provoking and reflective, and she is an incredible storyteller.  In her essay in JAMA, entitled “The Nod,” she tells the story of how an observant medical student noticed a subtle greeting and how the simple act of being curious helped create space for teaching cultural competency across the medical team.

Now, the issue of systemic racism in the United States will not be solved by conversation alone, but rather by action and the dismantling and restructuring of institutions that exist solely to subjugate black Americans and people of color.  However, we can start changing ourselves, start recognizing our own biases, and start using our privilege for good when we make space for our fellow citizens and their stories.

The prompt for this week is this:

“Write about how you will create space.”

You have as much or as little time as you would like to take.  See you next week.

References:

1. Manning KD. The Nod. JAMA. 2020;323(17):1684-1685. doi:10.1001/jama.2020.2868.

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More unedited writing of mine to remind you that just as writing doesn’t have to be perfect, neither does allyship.  You just have to start and be open to improvement.  Ten minutes all about how I will create space:

I will notice.  I will ask questions.  I will not immediately judge and jump to conclusions.  And if I do (which I absolutely will because I am human), I will learn that it is ok to admit fault and to learn and change.  Making space for feedback and correction is huge and integral to being an ally.

So is making space for truth-telling, for someone’s actual lived experience to take the place of your perception of their experience.  For their actions to take the place of your assumptions of their intention.  When I see the black man sitting on the ledge outside of CVS as I walk home in my scrubs and stethoscope and my first thought is to tense up, I need to make space for a lot of things.  For my impression to change when he thanks me for my service instead of doing goodness knows what I assumed he would be doing.  For my overall impression of black men sitting on the ledge outside of CVS to change from the one I have been trained to have by society to one that is more honest to their experiences.

I need to listen.  And observe.  And create space for black voices in other areas by not burdening them with the job of educating me about their struggles.  And that discomfort and guilt and shame I feel…to make space for that too.  To learn from it and grow from it to make a better world for all of us.