Recently, an illustration by Nigerian medical student and artist Chidi Okafor went viral on social media. The artwork portrays a Black pregnant woman with a Black fetus visible in her womb. This image has sparked significant discussion because, for many, it was the first time they had encountered such a representation.
As a mother of three, I’ve only seen a fetus with varying skin tones a couple of times. The first instance was just last year while expecting my third child. The pregnancy+ app allows users to choose from multiple skin tones for their fetus illustrations. However, judging by the widespread reactions online, it seems many have not had that experience.
New York Times bestselling author Mia Johnson shared the image on her Facebook, noting, “I’ve literally never seen a Black fetus illustrated, ever.” The responses highlight a well-known truth for people of color: darker skin tones are often overlooked in various facets of life, including medicine.
Okafor, who aspires to become a pediatric neurosurgeon, aims to address this gap through his work. He stated on Instagram, “The lack of Black skin representation in medical illustrations has created a barrier in doctor-patient communication. My goal is to create illustrations that reflect this diversity, which is crucial for effective medical training.” His GoFundMe campaign to support his medical education has already exceeded its target.
“I began creating medical illustrations to ensure that our textbooks include depictions of typical African individuals. Textbooks, being integral to medical education, typically feature illustrations of Caucasian skin. This lack of diversity can have serious repercussions for medical trainees and their patients since many medical conditions manifest differently depending on skin color,” Okafor emphasized on his GoFundMe page.
Racial inequalities in the healthcare sector are deeply troubling and perpetuate harmful myths about Black individuals and others with darker skin tones. Misconceptions, such as the belief that Black people have thicker skin and do not require sunscreen, continue to persist. The absence of images showcasing people of color in medical literature can result in misdiagnoses, inadequate pain management, and delayed treatment.
According to the CDC, Black women are three times more likely to die from pregnancy-related issues compared to white women, with factors including healthcare quality variations, chronic conditions, structural racism, and implicit biases contributing to this alarming statistic. The astonishment people expressed upon seeing Okafor’s illustration serves as a stark reminder for BIPOC communities of their invisibility — even before birth.
Black parents should easily find information about any skin condition online without having to sift through pages of results before seeing their skin tones represented. Those with darker skin tones should not still be treated as “other” in the year 2022. Hopefully, Okafor’s work serves as a wake-up call for the medical field. It’s time for a change.
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Summary: The recent illustration of a Black fetus by Nigerian artist Chidi Okafor has prompted conversations about the critical lack of representation of darker skin tones in medical illustrations. This underrepresentation not only hinders effective doctor-patient communication but also perpetuates harmful myths and disparities in healthcare, particularly affecting Black women. Okafor aims to change this narrative through his work, emphasizing the need for diversity in medical education as we move towards 2022.