The hashtag #WhatADoctorLooksLike is gaining traction after a black woman was turned away when she tried to help an ill passenger on a flight because the flight attendant didn't believe she was a doctor.
Last week, American physician Tamika Cross posted an emotional message on Facebook detailing a recent incident on a Delta Airlines flight when a male passenger became unresponsive and a flight attendant called for emergency medical assistance from a physician.
'I raised my hand to grab her attention. She said to me, 'Oh no sweetie put your hand down, we are looking for actual physicians or nurses or some type of medical personnel, we don't have time to talk to you', Cross explained.
Despite having to persuade the flight attendant that she was a doctor, the member of staff turned her away because a white male approached to say he was also a physician.
'I don't want skymiles in exchange for blatant discrimination. Whether this was race, age, gender discrimination, it's not right,' Cross wrote.
As a result, women across the US have taken to social media to confront bias, racist misogyny and stereotypes that continue to plague society:
You don't need to be a man to be a doctor.
You don't need to have a certain skin colour to be a doctor.
We stand with the women speaking out against racial injustices. #WhatADoctorLooksLike
Katie O'Malley is the Site Director on ELLE UK. On a daily basis you’ll find Katie managing all digital workflow, editing site, video and newsletter content, liaising with commercial and sales teams on new partnerships and deals (eg Nike, Tiffany & Co., Cartier etc), implementing new digital strategies and compiling in-depth data traffic, SEO and ecomm reports. In addition to appearing on the radio and on TV, as well as interviewing everyone from Oprah Winfrey to Rishi Sunak PM, Katie enjoys writing about lifestyle, culture, wellness, fitness, fashion, and more.
