Fighting the good fight takes a lot of dedication, persistence, and heart. A person needs to have a strong sense of confidence and willpower to fight for what they consider right. There is certainly no doubt that they will face negative consequences as a result of their standing, but if they remain true and strong, there is no telling what they can achieve. Throughout human history, fighting for the right thing has always paved the way to change and it is no different at present. Dr. Jocelyn Tubbs is on a mission to raise awareness concerning People of Color who face a backlash from society due to whatever disability they might have.
As someone who was diagnosed with Dyslexia during her undergraduate school years, Dr. Tubbs has had her fair share of negative experiences. Not to mention that she is a young woman of color, resulting in several setbacks in her professional life. However, nothing deters Dr. Tubbs as she has been breaking barriers in her field and inspiring others to do the same since she stepped into the professional world.
In 2019, she wrote a book, A Sound Adventure, to help children understand the inner workings of the ear. The same year, she attended her first American Academy of Audiology (AAA) Conference and presented her book and poster to the public. While there, she became aware of a need for more diversity amongst those in attendance. This did not sit well with Dr. Tubbs.
As soon as she returned home, she created a group on Facebook called Black Audiologist United. The group began small, with only nine members, before it gained steam and amassed a following of more than 200 followers and counting. The group aims to help Black graduate students study Audiology, find the best mentors, internships, chances of a good residency, and network, anything that would allow them to boost their professional life.
In 2020, the President of AAA asked her to draft a statement concerning Black Lives Matter and the racial pains of the current year. This led to her creating a presentation called “Being Black in Audiology.” So far, she has presented her study in several different states at national Audiology Conferences. The overall tone of the presentation focuses on the effects of implicit bias that black people face in the world of audiology as patients and doctors.
Dr. Tubbs wants young Black children to read A Sound Adventure. She believes that it will help inspire them to become an audiologist as well, and if that is not the case, then at least they will have some understanding of hearing loss and the difficulties that come with it. She hopes it will help them learn to be kinder to people who have a hearing disability of some kind. Dr. Tubbs believes that too many people are isolated and treated with indifference due to their disabilities. Though it will take time to break the stigma, at least she is making an effort in the right direction.
To learn more about Dr. Tubbs, follow her on her Instagram.
