Doctor Says She Was Racially Profiled When Helping Delta Passenger

She Shared Her Frustrations On Social Media

It seems two Delta flight attendants weren’t ready to believe in Black women greatness when a Harvard-employed physician told them to check the credentials.

According to CNN, Dr. Fatima Cody Stanford was on a flight from Indianapolis to Boston on Tuesday when a woman seated next to her started hyperventilating.

Stanford said she was already tending to the passenger when a flight attendant stopped by to check the situation. According to Stanford, the flight attendant asked if she was a doctor and Stanford said yes.

This, however, was not enough.

While Stanford continued to stabilize the passenger, a second flight attendant came by and asked for Stanford’s medical license.

Cool.

Stanford flipped out the medical license and all should be gravy, right?

Nope.

The two flight attendants stopped by again and questioned Stanford’s credentials, even asking if the medical license she was carrying belonged to her.

Stanford said the exchange was “bewildering.” She was able to continue looking after the sick passenger, but eventually, she shared her experience on social media.

“@Delta I am very disappointed that your policies on #Diversity have not lead to any change,” she tweeted. “As a #blackwoman #doctor who showed my #medical license to help a passenger on DL5935 your #flightattendant still did not believe I was a #Physician.”

Stanford works at Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School. In another tweet she wrote that her accomplishments do not “shield from racism.”

Delta responded to Stanford’s tweet apologizing for her “frustration” and they said they would look into the matter.

Delta spokesman Anthony Black confirmed that the airline reached out to Stanford and in a statement, he said the flight attendants “initially misread the credentials offered by the doctor and went to reconfirm her specific medical discipline.”

Mhm.

Black continued, “We are following up with the crew to ensure proper policy is followed.”

Stanford was not here for the Delta response, saying, “I left the conversation quite uncertain that any changes will be made.”

This isn’t the first time Delta went OD on a Black doctor’s credentials. Back in 2016, Dr. Tamika Cross wrote on Facebook that she was discriminated against on a Delta flight when attendants refused to let her aid a man that was unresponsive. Her post went viral prompting the hashtag #whatadoctorlookslike. After the controversy, Delta said they would do away with a policy that required flight attendants to verify medical credentials, but it seems they’re not living up to their statement. 

After learning what happened to Stanford, who’s Cross’ colleague and friend, Cross went on Facebook again to write, “Where have we come since 2016?”