Essay: Juneteenth reminds Black professionals to rest, recharge

For those of us who are Black in science, technology, engineering, mathematics, and medicine (STEMM), Juneteenth encourages us to reflect on (1) the day that the enslavement of Black Americans officially ended; (2) the legacy of anti-Black racism in America; and (3) anti-Black racism in our own professional settings. 

For those of us who have to navigate the world and our professions as a Black person — fully aware of both our invisibility and hypervisibility — reflecting on what Juneteenth means for STEMM is personal.

As such, when I think about what Juneteenth means for STEMM, I think about all of the extra work, often time invisible, that Black professionals must do to be taken seriously in our professions, and to create a more equitable future for ourselves and others. 

For me, Juneteenth is a reminder that Black professionals must take care of ourselves and practice radical self-care, even when institutions would ask us to give even more of ourselves. We have to take care of our bodies, minds, and spirits so that we can continue to do the work that we are passionate about — but that undeniably comes with scrutiny, discrimination, and often being “the first” Black person to have accomplishments in our field.  

Juneteenth is a day to rest, to care for ourselves, and our communities. It’s a day to recharge for the future hurdles in STEMM that we will surely face. Rest helps us control our own legacies, while also creating new paths for colleagues, students, and trainees.  

Keisha Ray, PhD, is assistant professor and director of the medical humanities scholarly concentration at the McGovern Center for Humanities and Ethics at McGovern Medical School at UTHealth Houston. Her book “Black Health: The Social, Political, and Cultural Determinants of Black People’s Health” was published in March by Oxford University Press. 

This essay also recently appeared in the journal Cell.