By Renee Williams
Nia Robinson is a 31-year-old coordinator in Atlanta who is done feeling powerless in the doctor’s office.
“I’m not just ‘another patient’ in a gown; I am a woman who refuses to become a statistic because a doctor wouldn’t listen.”
Her words hit even harder when we look at what’s happening in hospitals today.
Recently, more than 500 women filed a lawsuit against Chesapeake Regional Medical Center in Virginia. They say a former doctor there performed unnecessary surgeries, including hysterectomies and other major procedures, that they didn’t truly need.
One attorney called this case:
“Perhaps the single largest case involving civil rights violations of humans in our lifetime.”
Think about that.
Hundreds of women. Their bodies were cut open. Life-changing surgeries they may not have needed. All inside a system that was supposed to protect them.
This isn’t just about one bad doctor. It’s about power.
Who has it?
Who doesn’t?
And what happens when we walk into exam rooms with no tools, no proof, and no backup?
The Problem: When We’re Not Heard, We Become “Cases”
Black women have carried stories of dismissal, disrespect, and danger in healthcare for generations. Now those stories are showing up in courtrooms and headlines.
The truth:
Black women are about three times more likely to die from pregnancy-related causes than white women.
Our pain is more likely to be ignored, minimized, or misdiagnosed.
Our concerns about periods, pregnancy, postpartum, and menopause are often brushed aside with “you’re fine” or “it’s in your head.”
The Chesapeake Regional case is one extreme example, but many of us know smaller — and still life-threatening — versions.
And this doesn’t just happen to women without money, status, or fame.
