In this episode of Armchair Historians, Anne-Marie Cannon sits down with Dr. Khama Ennis, emergency physician and creator of Faces of Medicine, a documentary and podcast that shares the powerful, candid stories of Black women physicians in the United States.

The conversation begins with Dr. Ennis’s favorite history: Dr. Rebecca Lee Crumpler, the first Black woman to earn a medical degree in the U.S., graduating in 1864 at the end of the Civil War. From there, we explore how that legacy echoes into the present—especially when only 2.8% of U.S. physicians are Black women.

Together, Anne-Marie and Dr. Ennis discuss:

Why representation in medicine is directly connected to health equity
The hidden labor of navigating bias in professional spaces
“Baked-in” systemic gaps in healthcare algorithms
The importance of storytelling in improving outcomes
What it means to “always reach back and pull forward”

This episode is not about blame—it’s about humanity, curiosity, and expanding the stories we carry.

Learn More & Watch

🎥 Faces of Medicine (Official Website):
https://www.facesofmedicine.org/

🎙️ Faces of Medicine Podcast:
Available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and all major platforms (search “Faces of Medicine”).

🎬 Host a Screening (via Kinema):
Information about hosting a community, school, or organizational screening can be found here:
https://kinema.com/films/faces-of-medicine

💛 Support the Project (Fiscal Sponsor – Fractured Atlas):
Donation information is available through the official website above.

If this episode resonated, consider watching the documentary, sharing the podcast, or bringing a screening to your community.

Support the show

Support Armchair Historians:
Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/armchairhistorians
Ko-fi: https://ko-fi.com/belgiumrabbitproductions

Check out Anne Marie's historical fiction and download free short story: A.M. Cannon website: www.amcannon.com

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