Dr. Ala Stanford — Take Care of Them Like My Own- with Dr. Dana Williams

Watch author Dr. Ala Stanford's book talk and reading at Politics and Prose bookstore in Washington, D.C.

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Dr. Ala Stanford knew she wanted to be a doctor by the time she was eight years old. But role models were few and far between in her working-class North Philly neighborhood. Her teachers were dismissive, and the realities of racism, sexism, and poverty threatened to derail her at every turn. Nevertheless, thanks to her faith, family, and the sheer strength of her will, today she is one of the vanishingly small number of Black women surgeons in America--and an unrelenting force in the fight for health justice.

In Take Care of Them Like My Own, Dr. Stanford shares an unflinching account of her story, explaining how her experiences on both sides of the scalpel have informed her understanding of America's racial health gap, an insidious and lethal form of inequality that exacts a devastating toll on Black communities across the country, affluent and underserved alike.

When Covid-19 arrived in her hometown of Philadelphia, she knew it would disproportionately affect the Black population. As the city stood idly by, unwilling or unable to protect its most vulnerable citizens, Dr. Stanford took matters into her own hands. She rented a van, made some calls, and began administering tests in church parking lots. Soon, she found herself at the helm of a powerful grassroots campaign that successfully vaccinated tens of thousands of Philadelphians. She and her movement are living proof that by drawing on faith, community, and inner strength, everyday people can affect tremendous change.

Part memoir, part manifesto for health equality and justice, Take Care of Them Like My Own offers urgent lessons about the power of communities working together to take care of one another and the importance of fighting for a healthcare system that truly fulfills its promise to all Americans.

Dr. Ala Stanford is a pediatric surgeon, founder of the Black Doctors Consortium and R.E.A.L. Concierge Medicine, a national leader in health equity, a health care policy advisor, and former regional director of the US Department of Health and Human Services of the mid-Atlantic. A practicing physician for over twenty years, Dr. Stanford is board certified by the American Board of Surgery in both pediatric and adult general surgery, and she serves as a medical and health correspondent for national media outlets. Dr. Stanford gained international recognition during the COVID-19 pandemic using the infrastructure of her pediatric surgery practice to create a grassroots organization focused on education, testing, contact tracing, and vaccination in communities devoid of access to care and resources. She subsequently opened a multidisciplinary ambulatory care center in one of the lowest life expectancy neighborhoods in Philadelphia, where she continues to care for people.

Dr. Stanford is in conversation with Dr. Dana Williams, a Professor of African American literature and Dean of the Graduate School at Howard University. Prior to serving as Dean, she served as Chair of English at Howard University for nine years. She is 1st Vice-President of the Modern Languages Association and a past president of the College Language Association (the oldest and largest professional organization in the US for faculty of color who teach languages and literature).

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Founded by Carla Cohen and Barbara Meade in 1984, Politics and Prose Bookstore is Washington, D.C.'s premier independent bookstore and cultural hub, a gathering place for people interested in reading and discussing books. Politics and Prose offers superior service, unusual book choices, and a haven for book lovers in the store and online.