Taking Responsibility

Searching for meaning in a year in which so much has been taken from us, I have found light and inspiration working with authors, artists, and colleagues to complete this issue. This year has forced many of us to slow down, evaluate our priorities, and search for ways to help unite a deeply divided country. For me, 2020 has deepened my commitment to our mission at Please See Me and reaffirmed the need to build bridges and to continue to learn and grow.

Our collection of stories about bias connects our readers to voices within our society that still need to be heard. These voices address sexual-orientation bias, disability bias, mental-health bias, racial bias, and more—and they convey that we must address these biases urgently. Putting this issue together has stimulated many conversations about the range of bias experienced by colleagues, some of whom suffer in silence. Many of us are walking wounded, playing roles that fit the professional or personal circles approved of by society at the expense of our wholeness. The right to religious freedom; the right to love whomever and however we desire; the right to be comfortable, free, and experience equal opportunity in our skin regardless of color or sex; the right to be seen as whole despite our physical and mental health struggles; the right to be seen as competent regardless of age—all of these rights, these freedoms are at risk when bias is allowed to rule.

The stories here teach us that we are often blind to our own bias. These stories also teach us that we can no longer hide behind terms like microaggressions, unconscious bias, and implicit bias, and that we have not begun to appropriately address explicit bias, especially in the healthcare environment. I learned much from Michele Harper, an emergency room physician and best-selling author, by reading her book, The Beauty in Breaking, and by interviewing her for this issue. Harper is one of a kind. She lives her life through constant self-inquiry and practice, through courage and repeatedly standing up for what is right. She asks us to consider who we want to be in the world, and it hits home. She is a living reminder that despite our wounds of the past, we must take responsibility and do the hard, persistent work to heal in order to become a source of light, non-bias, and love. She is a true healthcare leader and role model.

Our cover artist is photographer, filmmaker, and entrepreneur Rhonda Nunn. We chose her work because her hopeful message is not only artistically engaging but also uplifting and empowering. She is an artist to the core from the South Side of Chicago who wanted to transcend the environment in which she grew up while at the same time serving as an example to her community. This is leadership. This is love. Nunn’s work, like that of Harper and the artists and authors in this issue, can help shape change in healthcare—and the world. Enjoy this issue. Share it with colleagues, family, and friends. Start conversations, but most of all, listen with an open heart.

I close out this year’s editorial calendar and look toward 2021 as a year of rebirth and renewal with supreme gratitude to every contributor who shared their voice here in 2020, to everyone who worked on our editorial staff and contributed their time and talent to this mission, and to our supporters, especially David Mayer and the MedStar Institute for Quality & Safety, the Maryland Humanities, Virginia Aronson and the Food and Nutrition Resources Foundation, and Judy and Bill Boehmler. We are once again open for submissions, and look forward to our Spring 2021 issue, which includes our second annual Mental Health Awareness Writing Contest, and an Open Call for an Updated COVID-19 Section for 2021.

Check back for our “Stories of Bias” short video collection from Please See Me’s Virtual Open Mic Night held on November 19, 2020, and look for future virtual open mic reading opportunities. We are appreciative of any and all support, and you can now donate via our Donation page. We continue to work toward building our community, increasing ways to connect, and providing opportunity for artistic expression for vulnerable populations and those who care for them.

Cheers to a relaxing holiday season and a happy, healthy New Year to come!

Tracy Granzyk is the editor in chief of Please See Me.