Hailed as “inspiring” by the Los Angeles Times, Crystal R. Emery’s documentary Black Women in Medicine premieres on WORLD Channel on Wednesday, February 8, at 6 p.m. and reairs at 9 p.m. (check local listings). This moving portrait captures the tenacious women who have succeeded against all odds in the male-dominated medical field. A timely film, the work serves as an answer to two separate incidents last fall when airline crews seeking in-flight medical attention for passengers assumed that Black women offering help could not possibly be physicians, giving rise to the viral #whatadoctorlookslike hashtag. The film is presented by series distributor American Public Television (APT).
Airing during Black History Month, Black Women in Medicine showcases rarely seen footage of Black women practicing medicine during critical operations, emergency room urgent care and community wellness sessions. From Rebecca Lee Crumpler, the first Black woman to receive a degree in medicine, in 1864, to current-day trailblazers like Dr. Joycelyn Elders, the first African-American U.S. Surgeon General, and Dr. Jennifer Ellis, one of only six black female cardiothoracic surgeons in America, the film demonstrates the heights one can attain with determination.
Black Women in Medicine is the first documentary to explore the history, contemporary issues and future possibilities of African-American women physicians by featuring the diverse voices of young medical students, practicing physicians and elder trailblazers, all of whom share intimate stories of what it means to be a Black woman doctor in America. In telling the stories of women who have persevered in medical fields in part by overcoming barriers linked to race and gender, Black Women in Medicineprovides audiences with a vivid and stunning experience of the triumph of the human spirit.
Written, directed and produced by Emery, Black Women in Medicine is part of the filmmaker’s groundbreaking initiative to help increase the number of Black doctors in the United States from 4.5 percent in 2016 to 7 percent by 2030. To that end, in 2016 Emery launched a national campaign, “Changing the Face of Medicine,” together with Elders.
“We all must challenge the status quo by replacing the false and debasing historical narrative regarding race, ethnicity and gender with positive, empowering images of real women making a difference,” says Emery. “My goal with Black Women in Medicine is to illuminate the issues and inspire a new generation of women of color to become doctors, as well as to help build a legacy for increasing access to healthcare in minority communities across the United States.”
ABOUT THE DIRECTOR
Crystal R. Emery is an artist, author, filmmaker, actress, and playwright known for producing socially-conscious works and stories that celebrate the triumph of the human spirit. Emery is also the CEO and Founder of a nonprofit organization dedicated to education through the arts, URU, The Right to Be, Inc.
In 1981, she was diagnosed with Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease, a rare neuromuscular disease. By 1999, Emery’s hands and legs became paralyzed, but her resolve was not weakened. Between 2000 and 2016, she wrote and produced a play, performed Off-Broadway in the Upper Room. She conceived and coordinated a cultural festival, authored two children’s books and a book of biographical photo-essays, spearheaded education events, directed health literacy programs, produced two feature-length documentary films (The Deadliest Disease in America andBlack Women in Medicine), launched an educational campaign, and obtained her Master’s Degree in Public Engagement/Media Studies from The New School in New York City.
ABOUT THE PRESENTERS
American Public Television (APT) has been the leading syndicator of high-quality, top-rated programming to the nation’s public television stations since 1961. For more than 10 years, APT has annually distributed one-third or more of the top 100 highest-rated public television titles in the U.S. Among its 250 new program titles per year, APT programs include prominent documentaries, performance, news and current affairs programs, dramas, how-to programs, children’s series and classic movies.America’s Test Kitchen From Cook’s Illustrated, Cook’s Country, AfroPoP, Rick Steves’ Europe, Front and Center, Doc Martin, Nightly Business Report, Midsomer Murders, A Place to Call Home, Lidia’s Kitchen, Globe Trekker, Simply Ming, and P. Allen Smith’s Garden Homeare a sampling of APT’s programs, considered some of the most popular on public television. APT licenses programs internationally through itsAPT Worldwide service. Now in its 12th year, Create® TV — featuring the best of public television's lifestyle programming — is distributed by American Public Television. APT also distributes WORLD™, public television’s premier news, science and documentary channel. To find out more about APT’s programs and services, visit APTonline.org.
WORLD Channel delivers the best of public television’s nonfiction, news and documentary programming. The channel features original content by and about diverse communities to U.S. audiences through local public television stations and streaming online at worldchannel.org. WORLD reached 33.3 million unique viewers 18+ last year (52% adults 18-49) and over-indexes in key diversity demographics. Online, the WORLD Channel expands on broadcast topics and fuels dialogue across social media, providing opportunities for broad and diverse audience interaction. For its exploration of the human spirit, WORLD Channel won the 2016 Christopher Award in the TV/cable category for the episode “If You Build It,” a part of its America Reframed series.