MONTREAL -- In the middle of both Black History Month and an ongoing global pandemic, Quebec's nursing students are calling on the province to think about the contributions made by Black healthcare workers.
“I've never been so proud of myself for being a Black Canadian and entering into the medical field,” said Ifunanya Uzor, who is taking the licensed practical nursing course at Access.
Throughout the pandemic, People of Colour have worked in a variety of capacities on the front lines of the battle against COVID-19. Organizations such as Colours of COIVD have begun collecting race-based data to help gain a deeper understanding of how public health impacts racialized groups.
“I feel like Black women in general are taking a big step forward and showing their true colours,” said student Santana Donais. “They're just as equal, capable of doing anything and they aren't any lower just because of colour.”
During Black History Month, their teachers are reflecting on the importance of diversity and the historic contributions of Black healthcare workers.
“There's a lot of people in Quebec, a lot of people that visit different healthcare institutions and I think the representation of patients versus healthcare workers is not always proportionate,” said Andrea Best, a teacher at Access. “I think that's something we can work on improving in the future.”
