The Black Fetus Illustration was created by me. It came to limelight in November 2021 and was acclaimed as the first-ever illustration of a Black pregnant woman and Black fetus. This image resonated more with Black women who shared their experiences of racial prejudice and inequity during pregnancy. According to findings, there are more cases of Black women dying from childbirth, unlike their White counterparts, due to lack of attention and care from medical personnel, based on the prejudice that they are stronger and able to endure pain.
While this image resonated with Black women on the note above, the rest of the world was thrilled at my intentionality, fueled by the need to cure the problem of lack of proper representation of Blacks and People of Color in medical textbooks. From research conducted at the University of Pennsylvania, only 4.5% of images in medical literature show Black people. This echoes the length and breadth of racial inequities in our healthcare system. The lack of proper representation of Black people in medical literature has hampered the appropriate diagnosis and treatment of Black patients, thereby increasing their mortality rate.
The Black Fetus Illustration has garnered millions of attention from around the globe, thereby challenging medical systems and spurring research and study of improving healthcare outcomes. The image has by all means expanded the frontiers of medicine by introducing more medical illustrators to diversity and inclusion.
For the impact that the Black Fetus Illustration has made in the world, I have decided to and do hereby grant a Public License to members of the public to freely use the Black Fetus Illustration for the following purposes only:
- Research
- Education
- Advocacy
The Black Fetus illustration
