CHARLOTTE — As we prepare to celebrate Juneteenth this weekend, we’re also celebrating two Charlotte sisters whose mission is to bring positive representation to the medical field.
On TikTok, you may know Dr. Lauren Lockhart and Dr. Lindsey Salone as the ‘Twintists’, but the girls come from a long line of doctors and UNC-Chapel Hill graduates.
Their dad is a retired family physician. Their mom is a nurse. Their sister is a dental hygienist. Lockhart is an orthodontist, and Salone is a dentist, and both of their husbands have jobs in the medical field.
According to data from the Association of American Medical Colleges, less than 6% of doctors in the United States are Black.
“I think there were seven African Americans out of a class size of 78 people,” Lockhart said. “Even after dental school, when I went to my orthodontist residency in 2013, I was the first Black female to graduate from that program. In the year 2013, to me, that was very shocking.”
The sisters then turned to social media to increase the reach of their message, have fun, and educate viewers. One of their videos has more than 40 million views.
“It showcases us and our family—all in white coats, and we’re dancing and happy—but people need those images of positivity,” Salone said. “It’s somewhat of an anomaly to have a family full of health care providers, let alone a family of Black health care providers”.
Together, the twins own and operate three different practices in the Charlotte area. They hope their presence in the office and on their online platform will inspire other young Black people to follow their dreams too.
“We feel this is our ability to give back as well, so people can see and maybe we can be an inspiration to young people,” Lockhart said.
“Give other people opportunities; at least see an image or a vision that may help them set goals and know they are attainable,” Salone said.
(WATCH BELOW: StarMed Healthcare and Black Business Owners of Charlotte host Juneteenth Buy-Black Fest)
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