Today on our show we share a story by Pamela McBride, a student in our First Draft and Second Draft writing group about her near fatal experience being dismissed by her doctor. This story is far too common for Black women and Pamela wants to re-write that story. She is tired of worrying about being the “angry Black woman” and gives women a prescription for how to take care of themselves.

We talk about writing as activism and writing as service. This story does both. 

Pamela McBride is an Atlanta-based senior advisor to the director of Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion in a federal agency and a 31-year military spouse. She is the co-author of two books. Pamela can be reached at www.PamelaMcBrideOnline.com or @PamelaMMcBride on Twitter.

You can find Pamela's stories here: https://www.sistersletter.com/health/medicalgaslighting-the-health-threat-black-women-cant-ignore?login=true and here: https://www.ama-assn.org/press-center/press-releases/new-ama-policy-recognizes-racism-public-health-threat ?

Writing Class Radio is produced by Allison Langer, Andrea Askowitz and by Matt Cundill, Evan Surminski and Aidan Glassey at the Sound Off Media Company. Theme music by Courtney Fox. 

There’s more writing class on our website including essays to study, editing resources, video classes, writing retreats, and live online classes. Join our writing community by following us on Patreon. 

For $25/month you can join our First Draft weekly writers groups. (Tuesdays 12-1 ET and Wednesdays 6-7pm ET). Write to a prompt and share what you wrote. For $125/month, you’ll get 1st Draft and 2nd Draft. Each week three people bring a second draft for feedback and brainstorming. Join the community that comes together for instruction, an excuse to write, and most importantly, the support from other writers. To learn more, go to www.Patreon.com/writingclassradio.

A new episode will drop every other Wednesday.

There’s no better way to understand ourselves and each other, than by writing and sharing our stories. Everyone has a story. What’s yours?