Retooling science: Transforming tools into instruments of equity as a Black physician-scientist by Victor Ekuta instant download

Retooling science: Transforming tools into instruments of equity as a Black physician-scientist by Victor Ekuta instant download

Victor Ekuta is a winner of the fifth annual Rising Black Scientists Awards for a scholarin the life and health sciences. We asked emerging Black scientists to tell us abouttheir scientific vision and goals, the experiences that sparked their interest in science,how they want to contribute to a more inclusive scientific community, and how theseall fit together on their journey. This is his story.I am both a tool and a weapon.A moment at an airport security checkpoint crystallized the duality I’ve experienced throughout myjourney as a Black physician-scientist. I was carrying a reflex hammer in my bag, a simple toolessential for assessing neurological function. Yet, despite its clear medical purpose, it was flaggedas a potential weapon. I was forced to wait as a supervisor determined whether this tool, in myhands, could be trusted. That experience symbolizes a larger truth I’ve encountered in scienceand medicine: whether something is perceived as a tool or a weapon often depends on whowields it.