'White Coats For Black Lives': Jackson Hospital Health Care Professionals Join Nationwide Movement For Change

MIAMI (CBSMiami) – Several hundred doctors, nurses and health care professionals at Jackson Memorial, people of all colors and race, calling themselves "White Coats for Black Lives," knelt in silence for nine powerful minutes Thursday. They stopped to remember George Floyd, joining the nationwide movement for change.

"I'm here as black man, I'm here as a frontline provider," said Dr. Tobenna Ubu to a cheering crowd. "I'm here with pain. I'm here with hurt, I'm here with anger. But when I look out at this crowd, I know I'm not here alone."

These health care providers used their lunch break to stand in solidarity with those rallying for justice.

"His death is a call to action for all of us, not just the community of color to say, we won't take this anymore," said Dr. Stacey Williamson.

Dr. Armen Henderson said he knows about racial profiling first hand. He was handcuffed by police while outside his home in April. He had just returned from helping the homeless during the COVID-19 crisis.  He wants change.

"I believe that we will win. I believe that we will win," he chanted with the crowd of fellow health care workers.

Dr. Kristi Wintermeyer was at the rally too, fighting for others and her own family.

"We need to stand with our brothers and our sisters and our citizens because this isn't right," she said with tears welling up in her eyes. "My son is mixed and I worry for him and that's why I'm here because I don't want to deal with the things we're seeing now."

Dream Defenders participated too, saying there's a collective rage across the country and people are fed up.

"We've long since been tired of bearing witness to Black Death.  Tired of black lives being a question mark.  Tired of having to prove that we deserve to breath, to live, to exist," said Lakshmi Ruiz.

At the rally, organizers stressed they don't just want people to go out and protest or post online.  They want them to get involved, take action and especially to go out and vote.