About the AuthorDr. Robert Butler was born in New York on December 29, 1958, to Robert LeRoy Butler, Jr. and Naomi Bryant Butler. He graduated from Emerson College in Boston, Massachusetts in 1980 and received a bachelor of science degree in speech communications with a minor in theatre arts. He attended Fresno State University in California where he pursued his masters in speech communications from 1980-82. He received his medical degree from New York Medical College in Valhalla, New York in 1990. Throughout his educational endeavors, Dr. Butler pursued multiple extracurriculars; including dance, music, theater, taekwondo, and gymnastics. In 1993, he completed his residency in family practice at the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis, Minnesota. He is a family medicine specialist in San Diego, CA and has over 30 years of experience in the medical field. He has been married to his beautiful wife, Nashwa Aziz-Butler, for over 30 years and has two beautiful daughters, Ashley and Brittney.
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"I want to give some background on what prompted me to write this book...
On April 4th, 2020, my sister, Dr. Julie Renee Butler, died from complications of Covid -19. Julie was a well-renowned veterinarian in Harlem, New York, and the first Black to graduate from Cornell University’s veterinarian school over 30 years ago. I recalled all the hard work she put into achieving her goals, and the societal resistance she faced due to the color of her skin. I, too, have experienced lifelong racial inequalities, subtleties, and micro-aggressions socially and in the workplace. Despite achieving a high level of education and obtaining a medical degree, it still occurs to this very day.
A short week after Julie left us, after having experienced several racial incidences during the week, I said to my wife, “I am writing a book and dedicating it to my sister.” I locked myself in my man-cave for 4 hours a day for 3 weeks and completed Deemed Unworthy.
The story I tell of my developmental years, including how racism affected me through my experiences and how I have encountered it nearly everyday of my life, is secondary to my primary purpose: exposing systemic racism.
My journey through the maze of racism is only one person's account, but consider the multitude of others who’ve encountered the overt and subtle racial obstacles which often leave lifelong emotional and psychological scars. This story is larger than one person's experience.
I share to raise awareness, in the spirit of the hope and determination that anyone can succeed despite any obstacle. It is time to unite to realize the world is not driven by the hatred of racism, but by love and equality for all."
On April 4th, 2020, my sister, Dr. Julie Renee Butler, died from complications of Covid -19. Julie was a well-renowned veterinarian in Harlem, New York, and the first Black to graduate from Cornell University’s veterinarian school over 30 years ago. I recalled all the hard work she put into achieving her goals, and the societal resistance she faced due to the color of her skin. I, too, have experienced lifelong racial inequalities, subtleties, and micro-aggressions socially and in the workplace. Despite achieving a high level of education and obtaining a medical degree, it still occurs to this very day.
A short week after Julie left us, after having experienced several racial incidences during the week, I said to my wife, “I am writing a book and dedicating it to my sister.” I locked myself in my man-cave for 4 hours a day for 3 weeks and completed Deemed Unworthy.
The story I tell of my developmental years, including how racism affected me through my experiences and how I have encountered it nearly everyday of my life, is secondary to my primary purpose: exposing systemic racism.
My journey through the maze of racism is only one person's account, but consider the multitude of others who’ve encountered the overt and subtle racial obstacles which often leave lifelong emotional and psychological scars. This story is larger than one person's experience.
I share to raise awareness, in the spirit of the hope and determination that anyone can succeed despite any obstacle. It is time to unite to realize the world is not driven by the hatred of racism, but by love and equality for all."