Written by Jonnie Ramsey Brown

For forty-five years, Jonnie and Thomas Brown built a life together. They supported each other through college, marched together to receive their degrees, formed a family, traveled, and shared the love of a lifetime.

When Thomas fell ill on a trip to Florida, everything changed. He was admitted to a local hospital where, within days, he died — the victim of neglect and treatment below the medical standard.

In You Promised to Do No Harm, Thomas’s widow, Jonnie, tells their shocking personal story, shedding light on implicit bias and detailing the struggle that people of color face when equal treatment doesn’t apply. It’s a call for families to advocate for their loved ones, for the medical community to consciously understand how bias affects their decision making, and for each of us to address healthcare disparity to keep our loved ones alive.