We Need More Illustrations of People of Color in Medical Textbooks— The lack of diversity perpetuates health inequality and stereotypes

"The consequences of primarily depicting White, lighter skinned individuals with Eurocentric features in medical images supports the persuasive concept of White supremacy. It perpetuates the belief that the White male body is "the standard" to which all other bodies should be compared. It leads to inequality in medical education and further perpetuates harmful stereotypes of Black individuals. As a result, this issue plays a role in inappropriate diagnosis and health management of Black individuals. Furthermore, medical care becomes subjective, discriminatory, and filled with speculatory assumptions based on stereotypes."

Jenna C. Lester is founder of the Skin of Color dermatology program at UCSF, which addresses the  persistent issues that arise from the exclusion and marginalization of non-white patients in medical  research and practice. She is combatting medical disparities due to racial inequality, working to fill education gaps in textbooks and curriculum about non-white skin and training a new generation of  doctors. A graduate of Harvard University and The Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University, she is an assistant professor of dermatology at UCSF where she practices and teaches general dermatology.

Jenna's TedX Talk

Susan Y. Chon, a 1991 Brown graduate with an independent concentration in children’s literature, is a professor in the Department of Dermatology at the University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center. Prior to joining the faculty, she earned her M.D. from Stanford University School of Medicine. She then completed her internship in internal medicine and her dermatology residency at Stanford University Hospital. Chon specializes in treating patients with skin cancers, melanomas and skin disorders from cancer treatments. She is a medical educator and an active mentor for medical students and dermatology residents. She is also director of the Skin Cancer Screening and Prevention Program and founded the volunteer physician program for the Brookwood Community, a residential and vocational program for adults with disabilities. Chon is the president of the Brown Club of Houston, helping to maintain the connection between Brown and its graduates throughout the world, and serves as a member of the Women’s Leadership Council, Women’s Launch Pad and Philanthropy Advisory Group. 

Under-representation of skin of colour in dermatology images: not just an educational issue.Lester JC, Taylor SC, Chren MM.Br J Dermatol. 2019 Jun;180(6):1521-1522. doi: 10.1111/bjd.17608.PMID: 31157429 No abstract available.

 Clinical photography in skin of colour: tips and best practices.Lester JC, Clark L Jr, Linos E, Daneshjou R.Br J Dermatol. 2021 Jun;184(6):1177-1179. doi: 10.1111/bjd.19811. Epub 2021 Mar 18.PMID: 33448346 No abstract available.

 Integrating skin of color and sexual and gender minority content into dermatology residency curricula: A prospective program initiative.Jia JL, Gordon JS, Lester JC, Linos E, Nord KM, Bailey EE.J Am Acad Dermatol. 2021 Apr 16:S0190-9622(21)00816-1. doi: 10.1016/j.jaad.2021.04.018. Online ahead of print.PMID: 33872717 No abstract available.

Two pandemics: Opportunities for diversity, equity and inclusion in dermatology.Lester JC, Taylorf SC.Int J Womens Dermatol. 2021 Jan 17;7(2):137-138. doi: 10.1016/j.ijwd.2021.01.015. eCollection 2021 Mar.PMID: 33937478 Free PMC article. No abstract available.

Encouraging the next generation of skin of color researchers: Funding skin of color research in medical school and residency.Jia JL, Amuzie AU, Lester JC.J Am Acad Dermatol. 2021 Sep;85(3):e161-e163. doi: 10.1016/j.jaad.2020.11.048. Epub 2020 Nov 27.PMID: 33253843 No abstract available.

Skin Cancer in People of Color: A Systematic Review.Zakhem GA, Pulavarty AN, Lester JC, Stevenson ML.Am J Clin Dermatol. 2021 Dec 13. doi: 10.1007/s40257-021-00662-z. Online ahead of print.PMID: 34902111BACKGROUND: People of African, Asian, Hispanic or Latino, Pacific Islander, and Native Indian descent are considered people of color by the Skin of Color Society (SOCS). OBJECTIVES: In this study, we assess incidence, risk factors, clinical characteristics, histopathology,  Skin-of-color article representation in dermatology literature 2009-2019: Higher citation counts and opportunities for inclusion.Amuzie AU, Jia JL, Taylor SC, Lester JC.J Am Acad Dermatol. 2021 Mar 24:S0190-9622(21)00617-4. doi: 10.1016/j.jaad.2021.03.063. Online ahead of print.PMID: 33771597 No abstract available.

Establishing the diagnosis of rosacea in skin of color patients.Onalaja AA, Lester JC, Taylor SC.Cutis. 2019 Jul;104(1):38-41.PMID: 31487335Rosacea is a chronic inflammatory cutaneous disorder that may be underreported and underrecognized in skin of color (SOC) patients. There are several skin disorders that can present with the classic features of rosacea, such as erythema, papules, and pustules, which …

Absence of images of skin of colour in publications of COVID-19 skin manifestations.Lester JC, Jia JL, Zhang L, Okoye GA, Linos E.Br J Dermatol. 2020 Sep;183(3):593-595. doi: 10.1111/bjd.19258. Epub 2020 Jul 16.PMID: 32471009 Free PMC article.Mounting evidence shows that COVID-19 impacts several organ systems, including the s