Dear RDH:
Finally! An African-American dental hygienist on the cover (April 2000)! I must comment that the Tri-State Dental Hygienists` Society and I were surprised to see a minority on the cover of this magazine after a decade of neglect. In the article, Ms. Perry expressed a desire for more under-represented minority groups to be present in the fields of dental hygiene and dentistry.
She also felt that it was very important for minority children to see health professionals of their own race. I totally concur. In order for that to happen, more local organizations like Tri-State must participate in career days at area high schools to enlighten prospective college students about the plethora of job opportunities for minorities in the dental field.
I also think it is important for all hygienists to be exposed to minority hygienists to "dispel some of the stereotypes" Ms. Perry alluded to in her article, and to which every minority hygienist can relate. This begins with exposure. Exposure through professional journals and magazines, organizations, and annual conferences.
In the future, if RDH magazine would feature more minority hygienists as cover features or in articles, it would not only increase its circulation among the minority population, but also be a paragon of diversity for other professional magazines.
Tracye A. Moore, RDH, MS
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
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