Skip to content
  • About
  • Contact
  • Contribute
  • Book
  • Careers
  • Podcast
  • Recommended
  • Speaking
  • All
  • Physician
  • Practice
  • Policy
  • Finance
  • Conditions
  • .edu
  • Patient
  • Meds
  • Tech
  • Social
  • Video
    • All
    • Physician
    • Practice
    • Policy
    • Finance
    • Conditions
    • .edu
    • Patient
    • Meds
    • Tech
    • Social
    • Video
    • About
    • Contact
    • Contribute
    • Book
    • Careers
    • Podcast
    • Recommended
    • Speaking

Lessons from a civil rights icon: How to lift as we climb

Claire Unis, MD
Physician
February 15, 2023
7 Shares
Share
Tweet
Share

Mary Eliza Church Terrell famously wrote, “And so, lifting as we climb, onward and upward we go, struggling and striving, and hoping that the buds and blossoms of our desires will burst into glorious fruition ‘ere long.”

Lift as we climb.

Terrell lived her life by this motto, as an organizer in the women’s suffrage and civil rights movements, and as a founder of the National Association of Colored Women and the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People. She fought especially for educational and civil rights. But she is most remembered by this quote.

Why? Because it defies human nature, a bit. It demands that we find a better side of ourselves, and offer loving personhood to others. And it is absolutely essential for change-worthy leadership.

I cannot count how many times I have had doors slammed in my face by other women for trying to establish a role for myself within a larger project – or even join it. Once was by a leader of narrative medicine, renowned for pioneering empathic listening (ironically). For some reason, it hurts more when it comes from someone who should understand our personal barriers to success.

No one who is part of a minority is unfamiliar with this experience.

I realize I have been responsible for limiting others, too, and I am not proud of it. For example: In college, I edited a quarterly “gender issues” publication. When I was handed the reins, I had no idea what I was doing. I spent the summer applying for grants, organizing materials, and trying to figure it out. I wooed diverse contributors that next fall, begged favors, pulled all-nighters, and barely passed organic chemistry as I poured my heart into hitting just the right light-hearted tone with Spare Rib.

When I handed the paper over, I all but smothered the incoming editor – a year my junior – with advice and guardrails. I wrote a “guidebook.” I cringed at the way the paper came out differently than I would have done, and I probably told her what she did “wrong.”

That editor is now an accomplished poet and professor with more publications than I could dream of – far more creatively accomplished than I – and I wish I had learned from her.

Why did I try so hard to control her? Did I think that her success would take away from my own?

In a word: yes. I had worked so hard to get this thing off the ground that I felt it defined me. And in my still-adolescent mind, that meant it could not belong to anyone else.

That was decades ago, and if I have learned anything in these intervening years, collaboration builds more than anyone can do alone. What could we have made if I valued her ideas and desires as much as my own?

As we enter Black History Month, I invite you to consider Mary Eliza Church Terrell’s words and legacy. How can you offer generosity to someone who would like to learn from you? How can you lift someone above you?

In my work as a literature in medicine champion for my health care group, my favorite thing is to enable clinicians to express themselves. And though I aspired to bring narrative medicine to Sutter on my own, I found that someone else had the same dream. Now I find that the best part of offering the classes is partnering because participants get two passionate facilitators instead of one, we all learn from one another, and there are more opportunities for people to join.

Win-win.

Thank you, Mary Eliza Church Terrell, for putting into words what can take a lifetime to figure out.

Claire Unis is a pediatrician and author of Balance, Pedal, Breathe: A Journey Through Medical School.

Prev

Revolutionizing vascular surgery: How embracing endovascular techniques saved the specialty

February 15, 2023 Kevin 0
…
Next

Navigating the new norm: a physician's perspective on caring for sick patients in the age of COVID

February 15, 2023 Kevin 1
…

Tagged as: Public Health & Policy

Post navigation

< Previous Post
Revolutionizing vascular surgery: How embracing endovascular techniques saved the specialty
Next Post >
Navigating the new norm: a physician's perspective on caring for sick patients in the age of COVID

More by Claire Unis, MD

  • Blogging for beginners: tips for success in any niche

    Aaron Morgenstein, MD & Claire Unis, MD
  • How physicians can use writing to share their expertise and impact the lives of others

    Aaron Morgenstein, MD & Claire Unis, MD
  • Having a great CV is not enough: Start building your portfolio

    Aaron Morgenstein, MD & Claire Unis, MD

Related Posts

  • The lessons learned from street medicine

    Nicholas Bascou
  • May the 4th be with you: medical education lessons from Star Wars

    William F. Kelly, MD
  • The Trump administration is systematically undermining women’s reproductive rights

    Monica Agarwal, MD, Alexa Lindley, MD and Emily Godfrey, MD
  • Lessons from the meeting of different value-based concepts

    Joshua Liao, MD
  • The Resident and Fellow Bill of Rights

    Eden Almasude, MD
  • One of the biggest lessons medical school can teach you

    Prerana Chatty, MD

More in Physician

  • Physician return-to-work policies

    Deepak Gupta, MD
  • How my patients’ Zoom backgrounds made me a better doctor

    Joseph Barrera, MD
  • Understanding reproductive rights: complex considerations

    Anonymous
  • Challenging the diagnosis: dehydration or bias?

    Sydney Lou Bonnick, MD
  • Practicing medicine with conviction

    Arthur Lazarus, MD, MBA
  • The power of memory in shaping human identity

    Emily F. Peters and Sandeep Jauhar, MD, PhD
  • Most Popular

  • Past Week

    • The erosion of patient care

      Laura de la Torre, MD | Physician
    • Challenging the diagnosis: dehydration or bias?

      Sydney Lou Bonnick, MD | Physician
    • COVID-19 unleashed an ongoing crisis of delirium in hospitals

      Christina Reppas-Rindlisbacher, MD, Nathan Stall, MD, and Paula Rochon, MD | Conditions
    • Air quality alert: Reducing our carbon footprint in health care

      Shreya Aggarwal, MD | Conditions
    • A teenager’s perspective: the pressing need for mental health days in schools

      Ruhi Saldanha | Conditions
    • End-of-life ethics and antibiotic use [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast
  • Past 6 Months

    • Medical gaslighting: a growing challenge in today’s medical landscape

      Tami Burdick | Conditions
    • I want to be a doctor who can provide care for women: What states must I rule out for my medical education?

      Nandini Erodula | Education
    • Balancing opioid medication in chronic pain

      L. Joseph Parker, MD | Conditions
    • The erosion of patient care

      Laura de la Torre, MD | Physician
    • I’m a doctor, and I almost died during childbirth

      Bayo Curry-Winchell, MD | Physician
    • Mourning the silent epidemic: the physician suicide crisis and suggestions for change

      Amna Shabbir, MD | Physician
  • Recent Posts

    • End-of-life ethics and antibiotic use [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast
    • Physician return-to-work policies

      Deepak Gupta, MD | Physician
    • Communication, power dynamics, and organizational culture in health care

      Beth Boynton, RN, MS, CP | Conditions
    • How my patients’ Zoom backgrounds made me a better doctor

      Joseph Barrera, MD | Physician
    • Understanding reproductive rights: complex considerations

      Anonymous | Physician
    • Innovations in surgical education [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast

Subscribe to KevinMD and never miss a story!

Get free updates delivered free to your inbox.


Find jobs at
Careers by KevinMD.com

Search thousands of physician, PA, NP, and CRNA jobs now.

Learn more

Leave a Comment

Founded in 2004 by Kevin Pho, MD, KevinMD.com is the web’s leading platform where physicians, advanced practitioners, nurses, medical students, and patients share their insight and tell their stories.

Social

  • Like on Facebook
  • Follow on Twitter
  • Connect on Linkedin
  • Subscribe on Youtube
  • Instagram

CME Spotlights

From MedPage Today

Latest News

  • Mortality Risk From Damaged Bronchi Extends to People Without COPD
  • ChatGPT Improving, but Still Lacks Reliability as a Clinical Support Tool
  • COVID Vax in Pregnancy Protects Young Infants Against Omicron
  • Repeat Tests for Inflammation Aid Prognosis After Acute Heart Failure
  • FDA OKs Another Injectable for Rare Kidney Disorder

Meeting Coverage

  • Hot Flashes: Precursor to Alzheimer's Disease?
  • SABR Offers New Hope for Older Patients With Inoperable Kidney Cancer
  • Menopausal Women With Obesity Endure Worse Symptoms, Less HT Relief
  • Study Pinpoints Growing Use of Cannabis to Manage Menopause Symptoms
  • Fezolinetant Benefits Women Not Suited for Hormone Therapy
  • Most Popular

  • Past Week

    • The erosion of patient care

      Laura de la Torre, MD | Physician
    • Challenging the diagnosis: dehydration or bias?

      Sydney Lou Bonnick, MD | Physician
    • COVID-19 unleashed an ongoing crisis of delirium in hospitals

      Christina Reppas-Rindlisbacher, MD, Nathan Stall, MD, and Paula Rochon, MD | Conditions
    • Air quality alert: Reducing our carbon footprint in health care

      Shreya Aggarwal, MD | Conditions
    • A teenager’s perspective: the pressing need for mental health days in schools

      Ruhi Saldanha | Conditions
    • End-of-life ethics and antibiotic use [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast
  • Past 6 Months

    • Medical gaslighting: a growing challenge in today’s medical landscape

      Tami Burdick | Conditions
    • I want to be a doctor who can provide care for women: What states must I rule out for my medical education?

      Nandini Erodula | Education
    • Balancing opioid medication in chronic pain

      L. Joseph Parker, MD | Conditions
    • The erosion of patient care

      Laura de la Torre, MD | Physician
    • I’m a doctor, and I almost died during childbirth

      Bayo Curry-Winchell, MD | Physician
    • Mourning the silent epidemic: the physician suicide crisis and suggestions for change

      Amna Shabbir, MD | Physician
  • Recent Posts

    • End-of-life ethics and antibiotic use [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast
    • Physician return-to-work policies

      Deepak Gupta, MD | Physician
    • Communication, power dynamics, and organizational culture in health care

      Beth Boynton, RN, MS, CP | Conditions
    • How my patients’ Zoom backgrounds made me a better doctor

      Joseph Barrera, MD | Physician
    • Understanding reproductive rights: complex considerations

      Anonymous | Physician
    • Innovations in surgical education [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast

MedPage Today Professional

An Everyday Health Property Medpage Today
  • Terms of Use | Disclaimer
  • Privacy Policy
  • DMCA Policy
All Content © KevinMD, LLC
Site by Outthink Group

Leave a Comment

Comments are moderated before they are published. Please read the comment policy.

Loading Comments...