In the current times, ‘equality’, ‘diversity’, ‘black is beautiful’, are some of the terms that we’ve been listening to and using quite aggressively. However, we can’t bring a change in society only after a day of advocacy.
Recently, medical illustrator and aspiring neurosurgeon ‘Chidiebere Ibe’ created an illustration of a black foetus in a black pregnant woman that attracted a lot of eyeballs online. People realised how this common happening was never witnessed until now.
Incidentally, when I revisit my school days, I realise that none of our biology books showcased black foetus or illustrated people of colour even though this is pretty normal and common. Our obsession with everything fair often kept us away from reality.
I'm black and black is beautiful!
Diversity in Medical Illustration
More of this should be encouraged!
Illustration by @ebereillustrate#pregnant #MedEd #scicomm #inclusion #AcademicTwitter #MedTwitter #illustration #Metaverse
Please support this cause🙏 https://t.co/Tye9WT1hud pic.twitter.com/YGrzINJfoe— Chidiebere Ibe (@ebereillustrate) November 24, 2021
As this creative marvel of the medical student went viral online, people online lauded his efforts in bringing diversity and equality in the field of medicine, and society at large.
Beautiful work! I’m a doula and birth educator. I can never find illustrations like this. Are you selling licensing these for educational purposes at all? I would love to use these with clients
— Cassie Marie (@cass_hunie) December 3, 2021
Beautiful!! I’m a toxicologist that studies maternal-fetal health and a visual like this would be amazing to include in presentations. Would that be ok, and if so, what’s the best way to credit you and your work?
— Dr. Bevin Blake (@bevthescientist) December 3, 2021
Excellent medical illustration!! I’ve literally gotten pushback for drawing non-white people as a medical illustrator, and it blows my mind. It’s ridiculous how white medical illustrations are still, generally.
— ✡︎ gaslight girlboss ✡︎ (@tinytinydoe) December 3, 2021
this is so gorgeous! i teach sex ed and there is a real problem with diversity in anatomical illustrations, ESPECIALLY vulvas. if they’re not visibly white, they’re in greyscale or shades of purple or something. you’re doing really awesome work.
— kyle🦇 (@homoerectus) December 4, 2021
This is awesome and beautifully done. Also makes me realize I don’t know when skin pigmentation develops in embryos. All the early embryo photos have either pink or translucent skin, and I’m not sure how much that represents universal patterns and how much is bias.
— Josh Rosenau (@JoshRosenau) December 5, 2021
Thanks for this man. Came across this image a few times today & it’s something I never realised I have never actually seen.
Glad it’s bought me to your work too 🙌🏾
— DJ (@ProudMixedDJJ) December 3, 2021
Honestly I would pay for this. My child loves talking about birth stories I want this as a poster.
— DMND (@mediamoll) December 3, 2021
Beautiful work! This is my first time seeing a Black woman and fetus represented in a medical illustration. ❤️❤️❤️
— Linda (@lindaemitchell) December 3, 2021
Stunning, beautiful, very creative, and emotional.
Thank you so much.
Your image strikes a raw nerve. Keep on pushing!
— Linda Kyambadde (@globalcitizenln) December 4, 2021
Beautiful! Thank you for your talent and lived experiences which will helps so many!
— Vinny Arora MD MAPP (@FutureDocs) December 4, 2021
Isn’t it alarming that on seeing this black foetus, we were so surprised even though we probably have a brown child being born every day in the country?