The power with us: experiences of resisting oppression among Black women physicians in academic medicine

Black women physicians often face bias, discrimination, and mistreatment within the academic environment because of their racial and gender identities. This shows up as microaggressions, exclusion, and minimal opportunities to advance their careers despite their expertise, contributions, and leadership to support institutions with creating environments that prioritize broad representation, welcoming and respectful spaces, and addressing barriers that prohibit individuals from thriving. Their first-hand experiences with intersecting oppressions told in their own voices as clinicians, educators, and leaders are largely absent from the literature, yet are critical in moving forward. We conducted semi-structured interviews with fifteen women identifying as Black or African American physicians who were faculty members, administrators, or instructors at U.S. academic medical institutions to examine their experiences with racial trauma and how these affect their careers. We used Black feminist constructs as a conceptual framework and Collins’ concepts of disciplinary and hegemonic power as a theoretical lens to center intersecting social identities and identify oppression in academic medicine. We also explored how acts of resistance are utilized to counter oppressive experiences. We identified six themes of oppression paired with acts of resistance within the disciplinary and hegemonic domains of power that were particularly salient in participants’ stories. While some Black women physicians are choosing to resist oppression by centering themselves, their values, and what they bring to the profession, we must continue elevating their stories to advance institutional change.