He decided to pitch the idea of taking a group tour of the plantation to his classmates, along with taking pictures in their white coats, and it turned out better than imagined. In the first, the students stood staggered in front of the former slave quarters, proudly donning their white coats. “We could’ve just failed and said, ‘We don’t have it in us,’ but we’re here. “There are still systemic issues that prevent [the] full flourishing of all people in America.”. “It was really overwhelming. RELATED: What to Know About Colin Kaepernick: Why the Former Quarterback Is Protesting and How It Started, “Initially, I didn’t understand what was going on because the emotions rushed through me,” Labat admits. "We literally are what no one thought we could ever be," said Dr. Russell Ledet, the mastermind behind the image, A group of students from Tulane University’s School of Medicine is gaining attention after they gathered together at a former slave plantation in Louisiana to pose for a photo they say powerfully illustrates their “ancestral resiliency.”. Maryland. "You just get a feeling, and you think this is going to be impactful and this is going to mean something," Labat told CNN.

“For us, the struggle in medical school is real.”. So Ledet proposed the idea to his Tulane classmates, emphasizing how the powerful image would illustrate “this connection between America’s past and America’s present,” as well as promote unity between the students as they pursue a career path that he says lacks diversity. “I started to cry thinking about [how] these people who we’re descendants of had the harshest life and the harshest conditions and wanted nothing but better for themselves and better for their children.”, “I am grateful that they were resilient because that allows me to be resilient and that allows me to be in this position that I am today,” Labat continues.

Since posting the images on Sunday on their respective social media accounts, the photos have gone viral with people of all races commenting on how the moving shots evoke emotions and self-reflection. For our entire community, keep striving. Ledet said his peers had "no hesitation," and they knew it could have an impact. Here's why it's worth billions, Furloughed worker: 'I'm at the top of the roller coaster with no harness', Indigenous sites at risk of government-approved coal mining, United to offer coronavirus tests to some passengers, How China's Ant Group built a $17 trillion payments machine, Watch Ring's indoor drone prototype patrol a house, Electric road will power public buses in Tel Aviv. Russell Ledet, a medical student at Tulane University, tells CNN he got the idea after a conversation with his eight-year-old daughter about a trip they took to Whitney Plantation in Edgard, Louisiana. Black med students’ ‘incredible image’ spotlights lack of diversity in profession Dec. 19, 2019 06:08. "As physicians in training, we stood on the steps of what was once slave quarters for our ancestors. This was such a powerful experience, and it honestly brought me to tears. We need to do this for ourselves.". Established in 2019, the Medicine Admission Award for Black Canadians is awarded on the basis of demonstrated financial need and academic achievement to Black Canadian students entering first year in the School of Medicine. We’re gonna all be MDs and we gonna all be MDs in our brown skin.”. “No matter how you feel about it, it’s a visceral reaction to ‘Here is what our country essentially started with and here’s how far we come. And while there have been some who have responded negatively to the photos, both students confidently say on behalf of their group that they don’t let it get them down — because resilience is within them. “There’s definitely things in place that make sure that my process through medical school was a tad bit more challenging and I’m okay with that because I think the resiliency from our ancestral DNA is enough to get us past the challenges we face,” continues Ledet, who was formerly in the military and even once believed he couldn’t go to college, as he’d never known anyone who’d attended. Resilience is in our DNA.". Fifteen of the 65 black medical school students showed up, and he said the most amazing thing was that all of them had a different takeaway. You'll get the latest updates on this topic in your browser notifications. They also hope it shows older generations in their field that the hardship was all worth it. (CNN)A picture is worth a thousand words and a group of black medical students at Tulane University are hoping their pictures speak volumes about how far they've come. "So I had this idea that we need to get the black medical students at Tulane and we need come here. Once they arrived at Whitney Plantation on Saturday, Ledet and his classmate Sydney Labat tell PEOPLE that each person had a different experience taking it all in. “[I said,] ‘I think this will be iconic and a lot of people will relate to it — this idea of how far we’ve come and how far we’ve gotta go,” he says. A picture is worth a thousand words and a group of black medical students at Tulane University are hoping their pictures speak volumes about how far they've come.

A group of black medical students at Tulane University are hoping their pictures in front of an old slave quarters on a Louisiana plantation inspire other black people pursing a career in medicine. The photo started making the rounds and quickly grabbed the Internet's attention.

Ledet's classmate Sydney Labat shared the.

“My 8-year-old daughter was like, ‘Dad, it means a lot to be a black doctor in America. Nothing says a family vacation like an RV, Princess Diana died when Harry was just 12 years old, It's looked — and felt — like a whole different world as we've been social distancing and attempting to keep each other safe, Pregnant Daniella Monet Reveals Baby's Sex — and Why It Was Different from What She'd 'Imagined', Rebel Wilson Is Having 'Even More Fun With Fashion' Thanks to Her Weight Loss Journey: Source, Priyanka Chopra Jonas Says She'll 'Drop the Curtain' In Upcoming Memoir, See All the Celebs Taking RV Trips This Summer, The Sweetest Photos of Princes Harry with Diana, From Empty Streets to Virtual Weddings: What Life Has Looked Like During the Coronavirus Pandemic. "We hope that we will make a lifelong impact ... and let [students] know: Yes, you can be smart. "To see people that look like me on this photo would have been so substantial for me as a younger student, and that is the whole purpose.".

The students hope the photo will make a difference for all black students. "Her insight [to the visit] was, "This is not fair. The second showed them standing in the same position, but this time with their fists held high, while the last featured them gathered on the porch. Two black medical students from Tulane University tell, Black med students in viral photo share inspiring message, Watch: Fox News has some debate advice for Trump, Watch robo dog caught on camera out for a walk, What the NYT report reveals about Trump's finances, See paramedics test a jet suit that can fly up mountains, See how Fox News hosts covered President Trump's tax returns, Airline furloughs loom for thousands of workers, Palantir's CEO says its tech is used 'on occasion' to kill people. The 15 White Coats, a Group of Black Med Students, Aims for Racial Reform in Medicine. Though not every student who is involved with SNMA at Tulane University could attend — Labat says only 15 out of 65 people were there — the impact of the photos was no less powerful. RELATED: Pinterest, the Knot to Stop Glamorizing the Use of Former Slave Plantations as Wedding Venues, “I’ve told a number of my classmates that I think we did something right and 50 years from now, people will still talk about this image,” Ledet says. Admissions Award for Black Medical Students. '”, “There’s a time gap in between where we’re standing and the house behind us that’s undeniable, that you have to recognize,” he continues. Introducing ... PEOPLE's Products Worth the Hype, posting the images on Sunday on their respective social media accounts, Pinterest, the Knot to Stop Glamorizing the Use of Former Slave Plantations as Wedding Venues. Text us for exclusive photos and videos, royal news, and way more.

“We want people to see our hearts and to see that resilience is possible, to see that success is possible, whatever that may look like,” Labat explains. Coyote Ugly Turns 20: Where Is the Cast Now? July 20, 2020 • … Then, it was time for the three photos. Get push notifications with news, features and more. “I was like ‘You’re right, I think more of us should see this.'”. The plan is to put them in 100,000 schools across the country so that future students can be inspired.