“My mother always said she wrote from the Black perspective, but she aimed for the human heart.”  We talked about the challenges that racial tensions bring up for society and individuals, and the way the pandemic had shown that some communities are more vulnerable than others. It made me stop and think about how I could change my work as a doctor for the better, and I shared this with him. Mr. Johnson seemed to understand and told me of the need for society to embrace a spirit of “cultural empathy.”
 
The more I understand and incorporate cultural empathy into my bedside practice as a physician, the better I can care for my patients both in and beyond the ICU. The more I will be able to say, “I see you.”