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Source: Nazir Azhari Bin Mohd Anis / EyeEm / Getty

A Houston based OB-GYN went viral after she posted her account of a discriminatory incident that took place during a Delta flight on Facebook. Tamika Cross was aboard a plane from Detroit when a passenger became unresponsive. Cross told flight attendants she was a doctor, but the crew refused to let her aid the passenger in need.

Dr. Cross explained she was on DL945 back to Houston when she spotted a passenger a few rows in front of her screaming for help. When Cross volunteered to help, the attendant reportedly told her:

“[O]h no sweetie put ur hand down, we are looking for actual physicians or nurses or some type of medical personnel, we don’t have time to talk to you.”

The passengers were then alerted to press the call button if there was a physician on board. Cross pressed her button and the same flight attendant said, “[O]h wow, you’re an actual physician?”

The attendant then went on demanding her credentials and questioning her experience. Later, a White man stepped up and was asked to help without proving his training. Cross was reportedly told, “Thanks for your help but he can help us, and he has his credentials.”

Even though her assistance was dismissed initially, Cross claims the attendant repeatedly returned to her to ask her questions about the patient’s vitals and blood sugar.

Cross would go on to write, “[The flight attendant] came and apologized to me several times and offering me skymiles. I kindly refused. This is going higher than her. I don’t want skymiles in exchange for blatant discrimination. Whether this was race, age, gender discrimination, it’s not right. She will not get away with this….and I will still get my sky miles.”

After deplaning, Cross’ post exposing the discrimination Black professionals face in public spaces has since went viral.

“I’m sure many of my fellow young, corporate America working women of color can all understand my frustration when I say I’m sick of being disrespected,” Tamika Cross said at the start of her statement.

The post resonated with many Black Americans who have experienced first hand or witnessed this type of blatant discrimination and bias in their own lives. We hope Tamika gets a lot more than those sky miles…we hope she gets justice.

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