Sometimes a single picture “speaks” more than a thousand words. We realize this when we find ourselves in front of photos that contain incredible and meaningful stories, just like what we are going to tell you.
The phenomenon of slavery in the United States marked an era and the lives of many people, forced to live lives of hardship and hardship simply because they were born with the “wrong” color of skin. In the plantations of the southern United States, in particular, millions of black slaves worked, living in inhumane conditions. Today, over 150 years after the abolition of slavery, these wounds are still alive and present, and are remembered through testimonies that show the redemption and pride of many . Like the doctors in the center of the photo in question, a moving and meaningful snapshot for African Americans and not just.
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We are our ancestors’ wildest dreams.✨
— R.J. Ledet, Ph.D. #MentalHealth4DaHood (@drrussellledet) December 14, 2019
In the background, an original slave quarter.
In the foreground, original descendants of slaves and medical students. #whatatimetobealive #yeahwecandoboth pic.twitter.com/INOUMmc1cx
15 African-American medical students decided to meet in Tulane, Louisiana , where once housed a plantation where slaves worked. There, their ancestors had to endure untold and dehumanizing abuse and suffering. Aware of all this and of their origins, and proud of the struggles that the black community has waged over the years, the future doctors put on their white coats and posed in this place steeped in history and meaning.
There have been – and still are – difficulties, but black people in the United States have always been determined to assert their rights and equality with whites , concepts which, sadly, are still not considered to be. acquired today. In the days of slavery – and even for a few decades afterwards – it would have been unthinkable to see a group of black college students proudly pose for a photo and build careers in important professions. This is why this photo is so important.
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image credit: Picryl
“ We are the wildest dreams of our ancestors, ” Russell Joseph Ledet wrote on Twitter, commenting on the image. And the reactions were not long in coming, because the photo quickly went viral and was hailed by thousands of Internet users for its symbolic value.
Proud of their past and present, these medical students are literally an inspiration to many, representing redemption, the will and determination to make a difference. Like James McCune Smith , the first African American to graduate from medicine, these direct descendants of slaves truly set a wonderful example to all.
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image credit: Library of Congress Archive
And the photo, according to Russell, is meant to be educational. The student photographer plans to “frame” the photo and display it in 100,000 classrooms across the country. In this way, young students can be inspired and have direct contact with the faces and stories of those who have shown the world that redemption and a better future are always possible, no matter what. We hope, of course, that this is the case, certain that the ancestors of these students would have been proud of them and happy to see their determination.
source used: RJ Ledet, Ph.D./Twitter