Views from the 6

Shout out to Drizzy Drake but no I’m not talking about Toronto when I mention the 6. I’m referring to the percentage of service providers of color, specifically black, that occupy the massage therapy space in the United States. Yes, only 6%! As a massage therapist and proud member of the 6, that number troubles me. What’s even more striking is, that number remains the same across a number of health professions including estheticians and even doctors, according to the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC). Ok, well why is that important? It’s important because representation is a vehicle that can drive the advancement and upward mobility of an entire race of people to the point of irrevocable prosperity.

The Issue

Imagine you grow up and all you ever see around you is people struggling to make ends meet and the only way to get out of that cycle is through sports, drugs, or entertainment. Those are the only people you see really getting paper. Of course that’s not even close to the truth but these are the images we often see displayed in the media. The reason we don’t have black doctors is because WE DON’T HAVE BLACK DOCTORS! Parents use the skills, knowledge, and connections they’ve nurtured through their own careers to give their children better opportunities. Those resources have not been readily available to black people en masse because we have been systematically kept out for generations. One of the things I’ve often found troubling but very common since becoming a massage therapist, is the lack of exposure of my community to methods of health maintenance such as massage, that are commonplace in other communities. I get it. I was a poor kid from New Haven, CT. I got my first massage as a 27 year old in Bali, Indonesia. Those types of self-indulgences were a luxury, reserved for special occasions, where I’m from. But it wasn’t just lack of resources that kept such luxuries out of reach. There was a lack of knowledge and familiarity to be accounted for as well. There’s a running joke in our community that ginger ale is an end all be all cure for any illness, ailment, etc.

While the joke is funny, it highlights the fact we just haven’t had access to the same information regarding alternative forms of self care or the resources to employ it. In 2018, when I moved back to Michigan from Savannah, GA I made an appointment at Michigan Medicine to get a checkup and establish care as a new patient. I hadn’t been to the doctor in a number of years as I really didn’t have a primary care provider at the time (another epidemic that is devastating my community, especially my black men). When I got to the appointment, to my surprise and satisfaction, the doctor was black. The experience was exceptional. So much so that she has since changed offices twice; meaning I have since changed offices twice. Even my wife transferred to her for primary care. There’s so few black health professionals that when you find a GOOD one, there’s no way you let them go. As a service provider, I’ve heard those same sentiments expressed from my own clients; ecstatic and often relieved to be able to find someone who looks like them providing a service that is beneficial to their health and well being.  Black patients, especially black women in childbirth, continue to have an increased number of poor health outcomes simply because our providers do not look nor relate to us. It shouldn’t be that way. We should feel comfortable and be confident we can find someone who we can relate to and who represents us, in any circumstance.

The Solution

I want to use Shift THA CULTURE to help bear that burden. It’s time to change the narrative about what success is and what it means to stand on business. This platform is for strictly that purpose. To provide valuable wisdom and insight to everyone but especially those who may not have the resources readily available to them. To uplift, empower, affirm, and inform. My wish is for this platform to provide information about where to find black professionals across the nation, steps for starting and growing businesses, how to confront obstacles when starting a business, marketing tips, health tips, fitness tips, finance tips, self-care tips and much, much more. I want to provide insight on some of the difficulties WE are faced with as a disproportionately underrepresented community. My hope is that as we grow together, we can begin to make a positive shift in the way we think about certain institutions that influence our interactions with one another. Whether we agree or disagree, my hope is that this will always be a space for healthy dialogue, community, and ultimately love!

Thank you. -Rell