Note: This piece is fictional and is part of our satire section, A Reflective Laugh. Many of our pieces are inspired by real-life experiences and ideas submitted by our community, using satire to explore social and environmental issues. Through humour and wit, we aim to provoke thought, spark conversation and bring awareness to the complexities of the world around us.
We live in a world where bones are more breakable than stereotypes. However, one orthopaedic practice is changing the conversation. Co-founded by Dr Stella Jamieson, a brilliant orthopaedic surgeon, and her husband, Dr Michael Jamieson, The Woman Behind the Bones Orthopaedics has earned a sterling reputation for providing exceptional care. Together, the couple have built a surgical powerhouse that has become the envy of the medical community. But in a case more perplexing than a dislocated shoulder, Dr Stella has somehow become the practice’s best-kept secret—so well-hidden that even her own patients seem to think she’s there to deliver the coffee than hold a scalpel.
Despite Dr Stella’s years of experience and her extraordinary skill in orthopaedic surgery, many patients overlook one glaring fact: she’s not just part of the team, she’s the co-founder and the backbone of the entire operation. It’s not her credentials causing the confusion—those are as solid as the titanium implants she places. Nor is it her dedication—she’s in the operating room every day, expertly repairing fractures, replacing joints and realigning spines. The issue is far more insidious: Dr Stella is a Woman of Colour, and to many patients, this automatically makes her more likely to be holding the notepad.
Every morning, Dr Stella suits up in her surgical scrubs—complete with “Co-Founder” embroidered in letters so large they could be seen from space. Yet, instead of getting the recognition she deserves, she’s met with reactions that suggest she’s wandered into the wrong operating room. “You’re the surgeon here? Really?” they ask, disbelief in their voices, as though expecting her to admit she’s just here to “help out” while the “real doctor” takes a break.
When she calmly informs patients that she’s the co-founder, the responses keep digging. “But… your husband’s the main surgeon, right?” they ask, as if trying to reconcile the idea that a woman, let alone a Woman of Colour, could be leading one of the top orthopaedic practices in the area.
The clueless comments are impressive in their consistency. “Dr Michael’s practice is just wonderful!” patients gush as if Dr Stella isn’t standing right there, the one who just performed their knee replacement. Particularly oblivious patients say, “You’re so lucky to work for such a brilliant surgeon!” Dr Stella replies, “Yes, I am. I remind him of that every day—right after I finish his surgeries.”
Other patients, rather confused by Dr Stella’s presence in the consultation room, ask, “Are you here to take notes for Dr Michael?”
“No, I’m here to make sure he doesn’t steal all my best surgical techniques," Dr Stella responds.
It’s clear that Dr Stella has excelled at turning microaggressions into opportunities for humour—and maybe a little education.
Dr Saranjeeta Singh, an expert on racial and gender dynamics, weighs in on the absurdity. “This is a textbook case of ‘racial invisibility,’” she says. “Women of Colour in male-dominated fields are often overlooked and underestimated, no matter how skilled they are.”
Even Dr Michael, the supportive husband, can’t fully correct the misperceptions. When he tells patients, “My wife and I co-founded this practice together,” he’s often met with a slow, nodding realisation that lasts less than five seconds—roughly the memory span of a goldfish—before they turn back to him and say, “Well, she’s doing a great job supporting you!
While some patients might take a bit longer to catch on, there’s no denying that Dr Stella’s brilliance is essential to the practice’s success. She might be the co-founder they don’t always see, but she’s undoubtedly the one they can’t do without. After all, successful surgery requires great expertise—something Dr Stella Jamieson has in spades. Fortunately, she also has enough wit to turn every misconception into a humerus story.
The facts (not fiction)
Racial invisibility refers to the phenomenon where People of Colour, particularly in predominantly White or male-dominated spaces, are overlooked or underestimated because of their race. This bias often leads to their contributions being ignored, their expertise questioned or even their presence being disregarded. In professional settings, racial invisibility can manifest as colleagues or clients assuming that a Person of Colour holds a subordinate role, despite their qualifications or position. This systemic issue not only undermines the achievements of individuals but also perpetuates stereotypes, reinforcing barriers to true equality and inclusion.
Workplace experiences of people of colour
The Being Black in Corporate America: An Intersectional Exploration report by Coqual (formerly the Center for Talent Innovation) discusses the challenges Black professionals face in the workplace, including feelings of invisibility and marginalisation. The report highlights issues such as underrepresentation in leadership, the burden of racial bias and the emotional toll of navigating predominantly White corporate environments. It provides data-driven insights into how these factors contribute to the slower advancement and higher attrition rates among Black professionals.
Women of colour in leadership
The most recent findings on women in leadership from the Women in the Workplace 2023 report by leanin.org and McKinsey provide important insights into the current state of gender diversity in corporate America.Women, particularly Women of Colour, remain underrepresented at every level of corporate leadership. The report highlights that while women now represent 28 percent of C-suite roles, Women of Colour hold just 1 in 16 of these positions. This stark drop-off is a significant indicator of the barriers they face as they move up the corporate ladder.
Women, especially those from marginalised groups, continue to experience microaggressions at higher rates than their male counterparts. For instance, Asian women are seven times more likely to be mistaken for someone of the same ethnicity, and Black women are three times more likely to feel the need to code-switch — altering their language, behaviour or appearance to fit into workplace environments. This pressure to code-switch further exacerbates their invisibility, as it compels them to conform to dominant norms, often at the expense of expressing their true identities.
Academic settings
A paper published in the journal Ethnic and Racial Studies found that faculty of colour, especially women, often experience "cultural taxation," where they are expected to take on extra diversity-related responsibilities, which detracts from their research and teaching but often goes unrecognised in promotion and tenure decisions. This contributes to their experiences of being overlooked or invisible in academic institutions. In 2015, a survey conducted by the Center for WorkLife Law at the University of California College of the Law, San Francisco, found that Black scientists were more likely to need to prove and re-prove their competence compared to their White peers. Black scientists were more frequently mistaken for administrative assistants or janitors. The survey also highlighted that they were less likely to receive the same level of recognition for their academic contributions. These findings show the persistent racial and gender biases that disproportionately affect Black scientists in professional environments.
