This Black Doctor Tried To Aid A Sick Man On A Flight – But A Crew Member Banned Her From Help

How would you react if you faced discrimination? Isn’t it humiliating to face discriminations based on ethnicity, color or gender? The story of this doctor is somewhat similar. Dr Tamika Cross was on board Delta Air when a co-passenger needed some medical assistance. Being a doctor herself, she offered for help, but the flight attendant had different plans. The flight attendant kept on declining her help because she might have thought otherwise. Who carries all their educational certificates along with them every time they travel? Hardly any and Cross was no different. Since she didn’t have anything to prove her qualification, the flight attendant started looking for someone else. In comes a white guy, who says that he is a physician and the flight attendant instantly obliges him to serve the patient. No question asked, no interrogation made about his qualification. Now Cross was fuming with anger as she clearly understood why her help was denied. A few moments later, Cross was asked to assist and when she did help the man come back to senses. The flight attendant got the much-needed proof that she is genuinely a doctor. A series of apology followed and several compensations were offered to her. She denied all her offers- and rightly so, as she was insulted and some free-miles won’t suffice to heal her wound. She took to social media to pour her heart out and within a matter of time, she saw more than 150,000 people following the story and replying to her post. At present, Dr. Cross is an assistant professor at The University of Texas Health Science Center (Houston). She has spent years acquiring the degree and even after having a thorough knowledge, she was denied to serve a patient, just because the flight attendant thought she doesn’t look like a doctor. Her degrees, her knowledge didn’t matter, she was judged by her color, her gender, and her age may be. Her story gave rise to the hashtag #WhatADoctorLooksLike, where doctors from all over started sharing their stories about discrimination based on race, religion or gender. Cross showed her humanitarian side and didn’t ask Delta to throw her out, instead, she said the flight attendant should go through some sensitivity training. Delta Air followed up the story and brought some changes in their guidelines to assist its passengers better in future. Upon learning the changes made by Delta Air following her story, Cross expressed gratitude towards the airlines for the changes incorporated. This is how Dr. Cross won a battle of discrimination.