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Anti-Racism video from PPP Facilitator key concepts training videos.

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Racism video from PPP facilitator key concepts training videos.

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Intersectionality video from PPP facilitator key concepts videos.

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Check out these videos and links for deeper dives into particular JEDI topics and frameworks.

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Du Bois Review: Social Science Research on Race

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Du Bois Review: Social Science Research on Race

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The Re-Emergence of “People of Color” | Du Bois Review: Social Science Research on Race | Cambridge Core

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The Re-Emergence of “People of Color” - Volume 20 Issue 1

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The language used to describe racial minorities has fueled controversy in the United States for centuries. POC is widely used as an umbrella term for all people of color, but now a different acronym is suddenly gaining traction on the internet - BIPOC, which stands for Black, Indigenous, People of Color.

People are using the term to acknowledge that not all people of color face equal levels of injustice. They say BIPOC is significant in recognizing that Black and Indigenous people are severely impacted by systemic racial injustices.

According to Google Trends, the use of the acronym began to spike in May 2020, coinciding with the growing Black Lives Matter movement in the wake of the deaths of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor and Ahmaud Arbery.

Founders of " The BIPOC Project" use the term to "highlight the unique relationship to Whiteness that Indigenous and Black (African Americans) people have, which shapes the experiences of and relationship to white supremacy for all people of color within a U.S. context."

But where does it come from?

Tara Young, a director at UC Berkeley who identifies as Black, Native American, Cherokee and Creek, believes the use of the term is a product of younger generations, but she appreciates its attempt to reflect both Black and Indigenous cultures.

"With older generations, they were so pushed to just choose one. You don't see a lot of people who are like 'I am Black, Native American,' or Black Indigenous in this case," she told CBS News. "It's trying to reflect both which I think is actually nice."

David Dent, an associate professor of journalism and social and cultural analysis at New York University, said he is open to using the term to recognize the struggles that people in Black and Indigenous communities share.

"In some ways, it connects Native Americans or Indigenous Americans more firmly to the cause - to the continued threats of racism in our society. I think that on some level that connection hasn't always been cemented," Dent told CBS News. "It is important, certainly at this moment, to help draw a significant connection."

Fawn Sharp, president of the National Congress of American Indians, also believes the term provides a foundation of unity.

"Many of our communities have a common foundation of civil rights challenges," she said. "While we do have strength in our individual identities, as Native people, as Black people, we also have within our communities a unity of our citizenry. Some of our citizens face challenges, both as an Indigenous person and as a Black person and that intersection of challenges, presents a unique position."

The coronavirus pandemic is taking an especially heavy toll on Black Americans, from high rates of unemployment to increased risk of infection. Sharp said the Indigenous community also shares those same elevated risks.

"We're dying in high numbers all related to the same systemic racism, the same systemic oppression and inequality and inability to access just basic resources and food that other people take for granted. We have to fight for it and we struggle to just have a baseline level of quality of life," she said.

"Those are the kind of things that draw people together."

Sharp said those areas of common interest are why it is important to have acronyms like BIPOC - to reinforce the collective experience between Black and Indigenous people.

"Somebody who identifies with the Indigenous communities of this country can feel the pain and suffering that has gone on for centuries of genocide," she continued. "And then to have another part of your identity of history, where your ancestors were enslaved generation after generation, and to have the pain of the failure of this country to reconcile build, generation after generation - when those two historical traumas intersect in a single human being, it's quite empowering and it's quite different."

But not everyone is convinced about the positive impact of embracing the term. Janus Adams, a historian who was one of the first children to desegregate the New York City public schools, argues that BIPOC is "a distraction."

"As long as this country has been in existence, it's been a racial moment. The idea that White people are White people, but everybody else is a group? I have no problem with that for an alliance or organization because there are similar experiences of racism. But the idea that identity should be conflated, I think is ludicrous."

Instead, Adams would prefer if we referred to Indigenous Americans by their individual tribes.

"If we're able to know the difference or hear that there is a difference between French, Austrian, English, Welsh, then why can't we know that there's Sioux, Cherokee, Shinnecock, Mohican, why can't we know that and why shouldn't we know that? This is a continuation of taking away the identity of these people," she said.

"Everyone but White people lose their identity. White people keep their identity. White people keep theirracial/cultural, nation-state, heritage identities, but Black people, Indigenous people, Asian people, Latino people all get subsumed into something."

Adams believes that using the term leads the public on a "dangerous" path that could lead Black people to another struggle for their identity. "We've already been through that. We've been through White and non-White. We've been through White and colored. I don't need another acronym to go back to that."

She suspects the development of this term lends itself to the lack of historical education seen among younger generations.

"If you don't know your past, you really don't know where you're going and then that brings us right back to a path that we worked so hard to overcome," Adams said. "They want to ally with each other. And they want to honor the fact that they're all in that together. But that is not the way to do it."

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BIPOC: What does it mean and where does it come from?

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The language used to describe racial minorities has fueled controversy in the United States for centuries. POC is widely used as an umbrella term for all people of color, but now a different acronym is suddenly gaining traction on the internet - BIPOC, which stands for Black, Indigenous, People of Color.

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The Difference Between ‘BIPOC’ and ‘POC’ Matters — Here’s Why

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Trying to include everyone equally can, at times, minimize the voices of people who need to be heard.

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bell hooks explains interlocking systems of domination (4 min video)

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bell hooks explains interlocking systems of domination (4 min video)

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bell hooks on interlocking systems of domination

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A Guide to Responding to Microaggressions

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A Guide to Responding to Microaggressions

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How to Respond to Microaggressions-New York Times (2020)

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How to Respond to Microaggressions-New York Times (2020)

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How to Respond to Microaggressions (Published 2020)

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Should you let that comment slide, or address it head on? Is it more harm than it’s worth? We can help.

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These 101 videos and links are brief introductions to important topics in JEDI.

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In this article, Dr. Kim Truong and Kay Martinez talk about the transition from a a DEI Office to a JEDI one.

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Is the acronym Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) outdated? After a summer of uprisings for racial justice during a global pandemic, we felt this era required us to lead with Justice and so we renamed our office JEDI, transition from the DEI name, to reflect our paradigm shift in 2020. We first noticed the acronym Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (JEDI) referenced in a list of student demands from Black Stanford Medical students in June 2020.

We had the power to advocate for the renaming of our office and we immediately said, "We can do that here too!" It made a lot of sense for us to lead with Justice and Equity because Diversity and Inclusion have become "feel good terms" that do not equate to much other than numbers, celebrations, and a reminder of power dynamics that those in power can create opportunities for marginalized and minoritized students, faculty, and staff, to feel "included" in predominantly White spaces that were not created with them in mind. As Dr. D.L. Stewart states in the 2017 piece "Language of Appeasement," diversity and inclusion rhetoric asks fundamentally different questions and is concerned with fundamentally different issues than efforts seeking equity and justice. Leading with Justice and Equity is a significantly different framework because it prompts us to think about the systemic barriers to access, engagement, and success at the forefront of our work and how we can transform an organization to try to eliminate these barriers.

We were reminded of it more recently when Dr. Sydney Freeman, Jr. referenced it in his " 10 Concrete Policy Changes PWIs Can Enact to Show Black Lives Matter " piece where he provides 10 clear recommendations that institutions can implement to demonstrate that Black Lives Matter. In both Stewart and Freeman's pieces, they remind us that language is powerful. They encourage us to think more deeply about the language we use to describe our work and that we take a systems approach - racism plays a major role in how our institutions function and operate. Our job should be to examine these systems and structures and reimagine policies and practices that would seek to produce equitable outcomes. Leading with justice is reflected in the frameworks and scholarship that ground our office's work. Critical Race Theory and Anti-Oppressive pedagogy are central to our training and pedagogy. In the summer of 2020, we launched a campus-wide Critical Race Theory journal club while the scholarship was targeted by the Trump administration. We have launched an Anti-Oppression Collaborative in Education (ACE) initiative to further embed Anti-Oppression in our curriculum and we have a paid cohort of graduate student JEDI fellows who work with faculty and staff committees to implement initiatives when many institutions expect students to do this labor without compensation.

Language constantly evolves and we look forward to the day when offices move past D&I and the letters drop off altogether. For now, we've kept D&I as a nod to our history and because of most people's familiarity with it as a concept. By shifting it to the back of the acronym, we hope to signify that its utility is shifting as well.

In addition, given that many institutions are situated in a predominantly White context, they should continue to endeavor to increase racial and ethnic diversity. They should also continue to focus on creating an inclusive campus environment where all people feel a sense of belonging. Through D&I, institutions should develop targeted supports for BIPOC groups on campus. We recognize that D&I are important given our institutional context as we lead with justice and equity to help others understand systemic oppression and how it limits opportunities for marginalized and minoritized communities. Leading with justice and equity allows us to more fully take a multi-pronged approach to not only recruitment, but also retention of our marginalized and minoritized populations.

What does moving from DEI to JEDI look like other than a change in language? Here are some examples:

· DEI: Teaching about the importance of diversity and "peer effects" of how BIPOC students enrich the classroom learning experience for "all" students.

· JEDI: BIPOC students are not there to enhance the learning of White students or to be used in the service of White education like a privilege walk. It is our role as educators to provide a greater understanding of the larger context of systemic oppression within our society and how it manifests in racial and ethnic disparities in access and outcomes. It is our duty to focus our efforts on equitable approaches to eliminating these disparities.

· DEI: Teaching about health disparities in a vacuum without providing context, such as people grow up in "bad neighborhoods" and eat "unhealthy" foods.

· JEDI: Having a discussion about health disparities that center on the social determinants of health and how communities of color experience racism (individual and institutional) that affects their health outcomes.

· DEI: A celebration of Black History Month and other heritage months.

· JEDI: An acknowledgement of the contributions of Black individuals and how we can honor them every day, not relegated to a month. A focus on supporting Black faculty, staff, and students. An interrogation of the curriculum to make visible the biases we have in reproducing Whiteness in the curriculum and making changes to it.

· DEI: Focusing on celebrations, but prizing comfort over "difficult" conversations.

· JEDI: An acknowledgement about justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion work can be tough given lack of experience with it, but the importance of practice, making mistakes and learning from them (rather than just making mistakes period), and seeking additional self-knowledge, knowing that communities of color experience systemic marginalization and do not have a choice about having to learn this content.

· DEI: Espousing that we value diversity and inclusion.

· JEDI: connecting these values to accountability for ensuring that our goals are met.

· DEI: Facilitating workshop on implicit bias and microaggressions - focused more on interpersonal interactions.

· JEDI: Grounding implicit bias and microaggressions in a larger context of White supremacy and the urgency for individuals to engage in self-learning and questioning about these concepts.
Dr. Kimberly A. Truong is executive director of the Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Office at MGH Institute of Health Professions and an adjunct lecturer at the Harvard Graduate School of Education. Kay Martinez is director of diversity equity inclusion training, education, & development at Lesley University and an instructor at MGH Institute of Health Professions. Together, they partner with organizations interested in engaging in JEDI work as part of XEM Consulting Services LLC.

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Is the acronym Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) outdated? After a summer of uprisings for racial justice during a global pandemic, we felt this era required us to lead with Justice and so we renamed our office at the MGH Institute of Health Professions from JEDI, transitioning from DEI, to reflect our paradigm shift in 2020.

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Check out these videos and links for deeper dives into the intersections of health and oppression.

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Addressing Health Disparities in LGBTQ+ Community

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Addressing Health Disparities in LGBTQ+ Community

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90 min recorded webinar.

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Addressing Health Disparities in the LGBTQ+ Community

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In this section you will find more relevant articles and resources. Let us know what more you want to find here!

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Welcome to the Justice, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (JEDI) Padlet curated by the IHP JEDI Office and Bellack Library. Here you will find a collection of websites, videos, readings and tools to help you build a background on important JEDI concepts and build avenues for additional learning. Please let us know if you have any feedback by commenting below or sending us an email! You can reach us at: jedi@mghihp.edu

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Schedule a consultation with our Librarians either virtually or in person. Booking an appointment is fast and easy, simply click on the "book a consultation" button and get system reminders of your appointment. All appointments can be canceled by referencing your confirmation email.

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https://www.mghihp.edu/justice-equity-diversity-inclusion

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https://mghinstitute.desire2learn.com/d2l/home/211391

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Office of Student Affairs & Services: Accessibility Resources

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Office of Student Affairs & Services: Accessibility Resources

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Overview of Accessibility Resources

Mission
Accessibility Resources, within the Office of Student Affairs and Services, seeks to improve the educational experience of MGH Institute of Health Professions students with disabilities by providing compassionate support, equitable access, and thoughtful accommodations to those who need them. It strives to create an inclusive environment on campus, where diversity and inclusion are celebrated.
What Is a Disability?
According to the Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA) as amended in 2008, a disability is defined as "a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities."

Activities include, but are not limited to, caring for oneself, performing manual tasks, seeing, hearing, eating, sleeping, walking, standing, lifting, bending, speaking, breathing, learning, reading, concentrating, thinking, communicating, and working.

Major life activities also includes bodily functions including, but not limited to, functions of the immune system, normal cell growth, digestive, bowel, bladder, neurological, brain, respiratory, circulatory, endocrine, and reproductive functions.

Our Commitment to Confidentiality
The MGH Institute and OSAS take student privacy very seriously. It is important to us and we encourage students to take it seriously, too. Disability-related documentation, including medical records and correspondence about accommodations will be managed in accordance with the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), related legislation, and Institute policy.

Information concerning disabilities and accommodations will only be shared on a need-to-know basis, and only for the purpose of assuring appropriate accommodations in support of student success. No information related to disabilities or accommodations is included in official records (such as transcripts) for students and alumni.
Communicating Appropriately, Proactively
While promoting confidentiality and privacy, OSAS also encourages students to discuss the logistics of their accommodation request(s) with relevant faculty and/or clinical instructors and their faculty advisor at the start of each course.

Any student who would like guidance on this aspect of managing accommodations should please contact Luella Benn. Students are reminded to use good judgment if they decide to discuss accommodations with classmates or others.

Accommodations Process for Students with a Disability

Accessibility Resources supports the Institute's mission and value of diversity by facilitating and supporting equal access to its programs and services for students who experience a disability.

To be eligible for disability-related services, individuals must have a documented disability as defined by Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act and/or the Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990. Eligible disabilities include physical and mental impairments which may include but are not limited to vision, hearing, mobility, learning, systemic, psychiatric, and brain injury that substantially limit one or more major life activities.

Accessibility Resources will request documentation from an appropriate professional to certify individuals as having a disability. The cost of obtaining documentation will be borne by the student.

If the initial documentation is incomplete or inadequate to determine the extent of the disability and appropriate accommodations, Accessibility Resources has the discretion to require supplemental assessment. The cost of the supplemental assessment shall also be borne by the student.

Pending receipt of the eligibility documentation, Accessibility Resources and/or the Institute reserves the right to deny services and accommodations.

Disability evaluations must have been performed within five years of the date of submission; otherwise students will be asked to submit a current evaluation at the student's own expense. (OSAS can provide assistance in locating appropriate, licensed evaluators.) All information provided will be kept confidential, except as required by law.

The OSAS suite is located on the ground floor of Building 39, across the street to the right from the Catherine Filene Shouse Building, our main academic building. Easily accessible to all, OSAS has a highly qualified staff of professionals who welcome students' questions, listen to their concerns, and respond to their needs and situations.

Forms

Semester Accommodation Form: Once students have been approved for accommodations at IHP, students should complete this form each semester to have their Accommodation Notification Letters distributed.

Accommodation Notification Letter: After a student has completed a Semester Request Form, the Associate Director of Accessibility Resources will draft a notification letter. This letter is sent to the student, course instructors/faculty, and key program designee(s) who directly assist in the implementation of students' accommodations.

Accommodations Decision Appeal Process

Informal Resolution
Students may pursue an informal resolution by meeting with the Director of Accessibility Resources and Wellness. If no satisfactory resolution is reached, student should initiate a formal complaint in writing to the Dean of Student Affairs and Services. It is not required to seek an informal resolution.
Formal Resolution
A complaint must be submitted in writing to the Dean of Student Affairs and Services, Dr. Jack Gormley, within 5 business days from the time the student knew or could reasonably be expected to have known of the action that is the subject of the complaint. It should include information regarding the specific action being complained of and the date it occurred, the grounds upon which the appeal is based, and the relief requested. If the nature of the complaint is time sensitive, please explain why in your statement.

The Dean will review the complaint, and contact the student to schedule an appeal hearing within 10 days of the date it was received.

Once the Dean has received your statement, they will determine if additional participants are needed at the hearing. For example, faculty or staff or classmates involved in the circumstances of your concern. Therefore, please be as specific as possible if there are others you wish to involve.

During the hearing, you will have an opportunity to summarize your appeal, and ask questions. The Dean will lead the hearing and will have questions for you after reading your complaint.

You may bring one individual to join you in the hearing, to take notes or offer support. This is optional. This person may not speak or interrupt the meeting in any way.

All time frames referred to in this procedure refer to academic calendar days.

Frequently Asked Questions

Faculty Responsibilities

Resources

There are a variety of outside resources available to students with disabilities and the MGH Institute population at large. Below are a few places to begin your search. Please reach out to the Associate Director of Accessibility Resources if you'd like further assistance.

The IHP School of Nursing and the University of Michigan Medical School's Department of Family Medicine have collaborated to create the #NursesWithDisabilities and #DocsWithDisabilities Project. The goal is to share experiences and understanding of the professional journeys of nurses and physicians with disabilities, in their own words.

Our Writing Tutor can help with writing skills and techniques. Please visit our Career Services page for more information

The Student Assistance Program (SAP), a part of the Employee Assistance Program, is available to all IHP students. They can provide a large variety of services including counseling, mental health referrals, childcare resources and more! Call EAP today at 1 (866) 724-4327 .

Tufts Medical Center College Learning Disorders / ADHD Clinic helps college students in the Boston area receive comprehensive testing and resources for learning disorders.

Accessibility Resources can help with acquiring adaptive technology. Some examples:

Dragon is a speech recognition software that allows voice-to-text dictation. This can be helpful to students who need note takers, but also to those who prefer using their voice instead of a keyboard

JAWS is a screen reading software that enables students who are blind or visually impaired to navigate the internet and Windows programs by using keystrokes to input data

Listening devices are available for students who need them

Amplified stethoscopes can be loaned out for students to use in their clinical placements

Contact Us

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Students at the MGH Institute are supported by a caring staff with policies and procedures to ensure equitable access. Accessibility Resources aims to advocate for and support students with disabilities on campus and arrange accommodations when needed that allow them to succeed.

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10 Principles of Disability Justice - Sins Invalid

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Click here for a plain-text PDF of the ten principles and their brief descriptions . For an updated version of the 10 Principles with more in-depth explanations, please go to tinyurl.com/DJ10Principles . For more information about Disability Justice including the 10 Principles and much more

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Connect and learn with your fellow students by joining these JEDI focused student organizations and programs.

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Get involved. Make a positive impact on the lives of those around you. Improve the system for the greater good. Student organizations add further layers of interest to our community. Some may focus on community service or a particular profession, but all help to strengthen the connection between practice and people.

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We had the wonderful opportunity to chat with Kumars Salehi on the Delete Your Account podcast about why CVE is dangerous, how we don't want equal opportunity surveillance by expanding CVE to white supremacists, how CVE is not meant...

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We had the wonderful opportunity to chat with Kumars Salehi on the Delete Your Account podcast about why CVE is dangerous, how we don't want equal opportunity surveillance by expanding CVE to white supremacists, how CVE is not meant...

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BIPOC Where Does it come from and what does it mean?

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BIPOC Where Does it come from and what does it mean?

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The language used to describe racial minorities has fueled controversy in the United States for centuries. POC is widely used as an umbrella term for all people of color, but now a different acronym is suddenly gaining traction on the internet - BIPOC, which stands for Black, Indigenous, People of Color.

People are using the term to acknowledge that not all people of color face equal levels of injustice. They say BIPOC is significant in recognizing that Black and Indigenous people are severely impacted by systemic racial injustices.

According to Google Trends, the use of the acronym began to spike in May 2020, coinciding with the growing Black Lives Matter movement in the wake of the deaths of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor and Ahmaud Arbery.

trends.embed.renderExploreWidget("TIMESERIES", {"comparisonItem":[{"keyword":"bipoc","geo":"US","time":"2004-01-01 2020-06-30"}],"category":0,"property":""}, {"exploreQuery":"date=all&geo=US&q=bipoc","guestPath":"https://trends.google.com:443/trends/embed/"});

Founders of " The BIPOC Project" use the term to "highlight the unique relationship to Whiteness that Indigenous and Black (African Americans) people have, which shapes the experiences of and relationship to white supremacy for all people of color within a U.S. context."

But where does it come from?

Tara Young, a director at UC Berkeley who identifies as Black, Native American, Cherokee and Creek, believes the use of the term is a product of younger generations, but she appreciates its attempt to reflect both Black and Indigenous cultures.

"With older generations, they were so pushed to just choose one. You don't see a lot of people who are like 'I am Black, Native American,' or Black Indigenous in this case," she told CBS News. "It's trying to reflect both which I think is actually nice."

David Dent, an associate professor of journalism and social and cultural analysis at New York University, said he is open to using the term to recognize the struggles that people in Black and Indigenous communities share.

"In some ways, it connects Native Americans or Indigenous Americans more firmly to the cause - to the continued threats of racism in our society. I think that on some level that connection hasn't always been cemented," Dent told CBS News. "It is important, certainly at this moment, to help draw a significant connection."

Fawn Sharp, president of the National Congress of American Indians, also believes the term provides a foundation of unity.

"Many of our communities have a common foundation of civil rights challenges," she said. "While we do have strength in our individual identities, as Native people, as Black people, we also have within our communities a unity of our citizenry. Some of our citizens face challenges, both as an Indigenous person and as a Black person and that intersection of challenges, presents a unique position."

The coronavirus pandemic is taking an especially heavy toll on Black Americans, from high rates of unemployment to increased risk of infection. Sharp said the Indigenous community also shares those same elevated risks.

"We're dying in high numbers all related to the same systemic racism, the same systemic oppression and inequality and inability to access just basic resources and food that other people take for granted. We have to fight for it and we struggle to just have a baseline level of quality of life," she said.

"Those are the kind of things that draw people together."

Sharp said those areas of common interest are why it is important to have acronyms like BIPOC - to reinforce the collective experience between Black and Indigenous people.

"Somebody who identifies with the Indigenous communities of this country can feel the pain and suffering that has gone on for centuries of genocide," she continued. "And then to have another part of your identity of history, where your ancestors were enslaved generation after generation, and to have the pain of the failure of this country to reconcile build, generation after generation - when those two historical traumas intersect in a single human being, it's quite empowering and it's quite different."

But not everyone is convinced about the positive impact of embracing the term. Janus Adams, a historian who was one of the first children to desegregate the New York City public schools, argues that BIPOC is "a distraction."

"As long as this country has been in existence, it's been a racial moment. The idea that White people are White people, but everybody else is a group? I have no problem with that for an alliance or organization because there are similar experiences of racism. But the idea that identity should be conflated, I think is ludicrous."

Instead, Adams would prefer if we referred to Indigenous Americans by their individual tribes.

"If we're able to know the difference or hear that there is a difference between French, Austrian, English, Welsh, then why can't we know that there's Sioux, Cherokee, Shinnecock, Mohican, why can't we know that and why shouldn't we know that? This is a continuation of taking away the identity of these people," she said.

"Everyone but White people lose their identity. White people keep their identity. White people keep their racial/cultural, nation-state, heritage identities, but Black people, Indigenous people, Asian people, Latino people all get subsumed into something."

Adams believes that using the term leads the public on a "dangerous" path that could lead Black people to another struggle for their identity. "We've already been through that. We've been through White and non-White. We've been through White and colored. I don't need another acronym to go back to that."

She suspects the development of this term lends itself to the lack of historical education seen among younger generations.

"If you don't know your past, you really don't know where you're going and then that brings us right back to a path that we worked so hard to overcome," Adams said. "They want to ally with each other. And they want to honor the fact that they're all in that together. But that is not the way to do it."

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BIPOC: What does it mean and where does it come from?

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The language used to describe racial minorities has fueled controversy in the United States for centuries. POC is widely used as an umbrella term for all people of color, but now a different acronym is suddenly gaining traction on the internet - BIPOC, which stands for Black, Indigenous, People of Color.

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We know Black people get killed by the police. Now, let’s talk about brutality in the hospital

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We know Black people get killed by the police. Now, let’s talk about brutality in the hospital

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Need more examples? Black children are more likely to be physically restrained in emergency departments than White children, according to a study I co-authored in the Journal of the American Medical Association. Black newborns are more likely to die when cared for by White physicians. And it has long been shown that Black patients are less likely to be referred for further testing than White patients.

Sometimes these delays in care are not fatal, but sometimes they are. Even if healthcare providers witness such a delay in care, they could never film it. But a patient could.

Over a year ago, Dr. Susan Moore filmed herself on Facebook just weeks before she died of COVID-19 in a suburban Indiana hospital. In a viral video, she discussed racist treatment from staff, including delays in her care, devaluing of her symptoms, and undertreatment of her pain.

Just as a White policeman can kill an unarmed Black man, claiming he was a threat, so, too, can Black patients die because the doctor neglected to treat them adequately, thinking their symptoms were not worth follow-up.

As with underreported police killings, we may never know how many.

Medical brutality looks different from police brutality. This kind of brutality kills Black patients by neglect. It kills them by delaying surgery on my friend's brother after he sustained a traumatic brain injury and bled out. It kills them by not bothering to aggressively treat my grandmother's breast cancer and letting her die, leaving behind eight children; the youngest was 11. It kills them by not investigating when a Black woman says she is bleeding too much from postpartum complications and hemorrhages to death.

Medical racism is not just an abstract historical system that unfairly disadvantages Black patients. This kind of racism is also the violent erasure of Black people's existence, figuratively and sometimes literally. Doctors don't carry guns, but their racist decisions can kill. They carry a set of skills that Black patients are forced to trust in their most vulnerable moments - like the policeman we are forced to trust in the most dangerous moments.

To be sure, medical malpractice lawsuits exist, but they are time-consuming and expensive. Even when medical brutality results in death or lasting damage, families may not be aware of exactly why - or able to prove it. If Black patients die due to racist negligence, doctors can argue the patient would have died anyway. After all, patients die in hospitals.

The Commonwealth Fund recently released an issue brief highlighting the high rates of discrimination Black Americans face in the medical system and outlining a number of policy recommendations, like a racism reporting system and antiracist medical school curricula. We, undoubtedly, need systems to report instances of medical racism, and there are some medical schools across the country, like Harvard University and the University of Washington, that have reporting mechanisms for racist events, known as "bias reporting tools."

But we need more. It is known that racist situations are prevalent in the medical system, yet they are vastly underreported due to fear of retaliation. We need people who are experts in addressing medical racism and its downstream effects, including retaliation against individuals who report such incidents. Then, as the brief suggests, these reports of racism should be made public. To my knowledge, there are few, if any, hospitals or medical schools that do. Black patients and physicians are left to whisper among themselves and pass information secretly about which hospitals are the most racist - and might kill you.

There has been some movement on how future doctors are being trained, though these interventions are just the beginning:

▪ As a psychiatry resident of the Yale Department of Psychiatry, I am aware of the current and historical underpinnings of medical racism that are embedded in my course materials. The Social Justice and Health Equity curriculum, a comprehensive educational program with four tracks (structural competency, human experience, advocacy, and history of psychiatry), is now mandatory for all residents across our four years of psychiatry training.

▪ Dr. Aderonke Pederson, Harvard Medical School assistant professor and director of research equity at Massachusetts General Hospital Clinical Trials Institute, is committed to teaching cultural competency to researchers. When she was at Northwestern University, she taught a class on social determinants of mental health and would often hear students trying to equate anti-Black racism with everything else: "Well, this is just like my White immigrant parents, they worked hard and made a better life, so anyone can."

▪ The U.S. Food and Drug Administration recently highlighted its focus on improving representation of underrepresented racial groups in clinical trials.

▪ Boston University School of Medicine conducted an internal assessment to revamp its curriculum and reimagine an antiracist medical education.

There are many more cultural competency courses being taught around the country, although there is still much room for growth. In the end, antiracism education is still not a required part of standardized medical education.

Televised violence inflicted upon countless Black Americans by law enforcement has brought police brutality to the media forefront, forging a modicum of accountability: $14 million recently was awarded to individuals injured by Denver police while protesting George Floyd's murder. And then there's former Minneapolis officer Chauvin's lengthy prison sentence, which, in this caustic racial climate, was not a given.

As we have with policing, we need to stop tiptoeing around racism in the medical system, using language that excuses healthcare providers whose racist decisions harm - and sometimes kill - patients. We need to address the systems and people who uphold and protect racist treatment. We need to stop assuming all healthcare providers value Black lives when history up through the present shows us something different. We need to empower Black Americans to question their medical teams and invest in a fund for medical malpractice and discrimination lawyers that Black families can access when harmed.

Most important: We need to start holding healthcare providers truly responsible for their racist treatment of Black patients.

Dr. Amanda J. Calhoun is an adult/child psychiatry resident at Yale Child Study Center/Yale School of Medicine.

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We know Black people get killed by the police. Now, let's talk about brutality in the hospital - The Boston Globe

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Need more examples? Black children are more likely to be physically restrained in emergency departments than White children, according to a study I co-authored in the Journal of the American Medical Association. Black newborns are more likely to die when cared for by White physicians.

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Internal analysis shows Black patients at Brighamfaced more security calls

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Internal analysis shows Black patients at Brighamfaced more security calls

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Internal analysis shows Black patients at Brigham faced more security calls - The Boston Globe

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Succinct breakdown of overlapping systems of oppression such as White Supremacy, Colonialism, Cis-Heteropatriarchy, Christian Hegemony, and more. Includes references!

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Overview While we aim to articulate the specificities of each system of oppression, we recognize that all systems of oppression are interconnected in their goals and the violence that they perpetuate against historically oppressed populations. Common threads of dehumanization, domination, exploitation and erasure connect each form of oppression as they act to maintain the status […]

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Understanding and Addressing the social determinants of health for Black, LGBTQ people

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Understanding and Addressing the social determinants of health for Black, LGBTQ people

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MEDS (Minorities Engaged in Dialogue & Service)

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MEDS (Minorities Engaged in Dialogue & Service)

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Committed to establishing and strengthening relationships between People of Color at the IHP. MEDS provides a space for community building via dialogue, network and service.

For more information visit the IHP Student Organization page to get involved!

https://www.mghihp.edu/ihp-experience/community-student-organizations

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MGH Center for Cross-Cultural Student Emotional Wellness

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MGH Center for Cross-Cultural Student Emotional Wellness

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Latinos need to confront their own racism, say Afro-Latinos pushing for racial equity

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Latinos need to confront their own racism, say Afro-Latinos pushing for racial equity

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After attending a Black Lives Matter march in Paris last summer protesting George Floyd's death, the Afro-Latina supermodel Joan Smalls thought back on her own experiences with racism.

When Smalls was growing up in an interracial family in Puerto Rico, her mother was called derogatory terms and her father was treated unfairly at work because of the color of his skin. Smalls has been upfront about confronting the "beast of racism" within the fashion industry.

"We want to have this perceived notion that we're all equal, but in reality, we're not treated that way," Smalls said. "It's great that the movement caught such a momentum in 2020, but obviously it's a conversation that needs to continue so that it's normalized, so it's not just a phase. In order to have real change, there has to be continuity."

The Floyd protests last summer mobilized Latinos to confront racism and anti-blackness within their own communities. The challenge, as Smalls and others said, is how to keep the focus on racial equity - and how to keep it constant.

Leading up to the election after the summer's protests, some conservatives and Republican candidates and lawmakers repeatedly misrepresented the movement as an extremist, violent faction tied to anarchists. Some of the messaging was aimed at Latino voters. False narratives about the Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol blamed Black Lives Matter protesters or equated the deadly siege with marches for racial justice.

Part of Latinos' racial reckoning is shedding the idea that "blackness is something else that is U.S.-based" and "doesn't directly affect our Afro-Latino brothers and sisters," said Fordham University law professor Tanya Hernandez, author of the coming book "On Latino Anti-Black Bias: 'Racial Innocence' & The Struggle for Equality."

Latinos "need to stop acting as if our ethnicity shields us from any implications in regard to racial issues," Hernandez said. "An ethnic group is not impervious to issues of racism simply because they, too, are victims of racialization."

Racism - within racial diversity

Latinos attended the "Unite The Right" rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, in 2017 to defend white nationalism. They included Enrique Tarrio, chairman of the far-right white nationalist extremist group the Proud Boys, who identifies as Afro-Cuban. The Proud Boys were found to have been involved in the Capitol riot.

"White supremacy has a way of changing through the years and finds new ways of oppressing," said Angel Velez, an Afro-Puerto Rican pursuing a Ph.D. in education policy at the University of Illinois. "We need to fight those urges and think about what role can we play as Latinos at the community level to advance racial justice."

A misconception among Latinos and others is that Black Lives Matter is "about trying to put Black people first, as supposed to looking at Black Lives Matter as a human rights platform," Hernandez said.

Ramon Contreras, 22, is an Afro-Latino political strategist and activist who grew up in New York City.

"I've been stopped by police officers growing up here, and I've been affected by a racist police system," said Contreras, who is of Dominican descent. "In order for us to actually come together and make sure that we actually have a system that's there to protect us and not target us, we need to march for Black lives when somebody like George Floyd is killed."

Contreras started organizing protests and marching every day last summer, "making sure that we were demanding justice."

A quarter of all U.S. Latinos identified as Afro-Latino, Afro-Caribbean or as being of African descent with roots in Latin America, according to a 2016 Pew Research Center survey.

Yet many Afro-Latinos still struggle with identifying as Black. In Pew's survey, only 18 percent of Afro-Latinos said they were Black, compared to 39 percent who identified as white. Almost a quarter (24 percent) said their race was "Hispanic" - which is an ethnicity, not a race.

Regardless of how Latinos see themselves, assumptions are made, especially toward those who are deemed to be Latino because of the way they look or the language they speak.

"Every community is not monolithic," Velez said. "But we have to understand that the way this country talks about Latinos is also very xenophobic."

Latinos face overt and subtle racism and discrimination, whether they were born in the U.S. or not. Hate crimes against them are on the rise, and many Latinos are harassed and even arrested for speaking Spanish in public. While Black people are overwhelmingly most likely to die at the hands of police, Latinos are killed by police at nearly twice the rate of white people, according to a database compiled by The Washington Post. Many Latinos face roadblocks to gain access to health care and economic and educational opportunities.

Taking action

Smalls has used her global voice to raise awareness of race and other issues, but during the racial reckoning, she asked herself, "When do you put your money where your mouth is?"

Smalls donated $100,000 to 11 organizations promoting racial equity after having pledged to donate half of her salary for the rest of 2020. She created the portal donatemywage.org to encourage others to do the same. Some of the fashion and beauty brands she has worked with have matched her donation, Smalls said.

Among the organizations is Color Of Change, the nation's largest online racial justice organization. The group recently partnered with Smalls, the Black in Fashion Council and the global company IMG to launch #ChangeFashion, which urges companies to support specific actions to tackle racial inequity.

"Actions speak louder than words," Smalls said. "Sometimes you never know if by helping one of these organizations you helped put a kid through school or take someone out of the justice system that was wrongfully convicted - what these organizations need are funds in order to survive and continue their good work."

Contreras' involvement in organizing marches and protests last summer sparked conversations with his Dominican relatives, both Black and white, about how "the same issues that affect Black Americans in this country are the same issues that affect us, especially when we look at law enforcement - from ICE to the NYPD and LAPD."

"If we don't crack down on the discrimination and injustices that these systems promote and the way they are enforced in our communities, nothing will change," he said.

For Contreras, who works with local officials on policymaking, continuing to fight for Black lives means turning the conversations and protests of last year into political action, staying civically engaged and keeping the pressure on elected officials.

"We wanted to see something different last year, and we wanted to make sure that those police officers were held accountable," he said. "We need to make sure that when President Biden talks about race that he doesn't forget about what happened to George Floyd and he doesn't forget about the demands that Black Lives Matter made and how we still are waiting for justice to be served."

The push for a racial reckoning and racial equity, say Afro-Latinos like Contreras and Smalls, has to be seen in a broader context - and it needs to be persistent.

"Wherever you look, there is inequality - there are people who don't seem to get it, because they're not placed in that position or they haven't had those experiences," Smalls said. "Just because something doesn't happen to you doesn't mean it does not exist."
Follow NBC Latino on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

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Latinos need to confront their own racism, say Afro-Latinos pushing for racial equity

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Afro-Latino activists, from supermodel Joan Smalls to political organizers and scholars, say the push for Black Lives Matter and racial justice needs to be constant and persistent.

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A Brief History of Asian Americans, Pacific Islanders, & State-Sanctioned Violence

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A Brief History of Asian Americans, Pacific Islanders, & State-Sanctioned Violence

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This game allows you to explore class disparities.

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Urban Ministries of Durham serves over 6000 people every year who struggle with poverty and homelessness. Spent is an interactive game created by McKinney that challenges you to manage your money, raise a child and make it through the month getting paid minimum wage after a stretch of unemployment.

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NON-BLACK PEOPLE OF COLOR NEED TO START HAVING CONVERSATIONS ABOUT THE ANTI-BLACKNESS IN OUR COMMUNITIES

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NON-BLACK PEOPLE OF COLOR NEED TO START HAVING CONVERSATIONS ABOUT THE ANTI-BLACKNESS IN OUR COMMUNITIES

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Non-Black People of Color Need to Start Having Conversations About the Anti-Blackness in Our Communities

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A guide to starting anti-racist conversations with friends and family.

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What is Intersectionality and what does it have to do with me?

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What is Intersectionality and what does it have to do with me?

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Here at YW Boston, intersectionality is central to the work we do.

We know that everyone reading this has come to follow YW Boston's work from different entry points. Some of us hold women's empowerment close to heart, perhaps seeking a more equitable world for ourselves or our daughters. Some of us have experienced racial discrimination personally, perhaps through generations of our family. Some of us have little experience with social justice, but seek a better understanding of inequity in Greater Boston. All of us seek change in our community, no matter how we became involved.

Despite our shared vision, social equity work can oftentimes feel exclusionary to those who are not familiar with the lingo. Intersectionality, in particular, is a term that many people and organizations assert an importance for, but that others are unclear on. Understanding the terminology used in equity work is a useful tool for people expanding their knowledge on the issues they care about.

If you've ever scratched your head when a friend, colleague, or writer has spoken of intersectionality (or you'd like to deepen your understanding of the theory), this post is for you.

What is it and where does it come from?

Intersectionality, n.

The interconnected nature of social categorizations such as race, class, and gender, regarded as creating overlapping and interdependent systems of discrimination or disadvantage; a theoretical approach based on such a premise. (Oxford Dictionary)

Intersectionality is a framework for conceptualizing a person, group of people, or social problem as affected by a number of discriminations and disadvantages. It takes into account people's overlapping identities and experiences in order to understand the complexity of prejudices they face.

In other words, intersectional theory asserts that people are often disadvantaged by multiple sources of oppression: their race, class, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, and other identity markers. Intersectionality recognizes that identity markers (e.g. "woman" and "black") do not exist independently of each other, and that each informs the others, often creating a complex convergence of oppression. For instance, a black man and a white woman make $0.74 and $0.78 to a white man's dollar, respectively. Black women, faced with multiple forms of oppression, only make $0.64. Understanding intersectionality is essential to combatting the interwoven prejudices people face in their daily lives.

Kimberlé Crenshaw, law professor and social theorist, first coined the term intersectionality in her 1989 paper "Demarginalizing The Intersection Of Race And Sex: A Black Feminist Critique Of Antidiscrimination Doctrine, Feminist Theory And Antiracist Politics." The theory emerged two decades earlier, however, when black feminists began to speak out about the white, middle-class nature of the mainstream feminist movement. Many black women found it difficult to identify with the issues of the mainstream (white) feminist movement, issues such as the pressure to be a homemaker. Black women, who often had to work in order to keep their family afloat and therefore did not have the luxury of being homemakers, did not feel as though these issues pertained to their experiences. At the same time, many black women experienced sexism while participating in the Civil Rights movement and were often shut out of leadership positions. This intersectional experience of facing racism in the feminist movement and sexism in civil rights encouraged black women to call for a feminist practice that centralized their lived experiences.

The Combahee River Collective, a black feminist lesbian organization, released the Combahee River Collective Statement in 1978 to define and encourage black feminism. In the introduction these women state that "The synthesis of these oppressions creates the conditions of our lives. As Black women we see Black feminism as the logical political movement to combat the manifold and simultaneous oppressions that all women of color face." They fought not only for representation in both the Civil Rights and feminist movements, but also for recognition as black women, rather than just black or just women.

Crenshaw expanded on the Collective's theory, stating that in order to understand the oppression of black women, it is necessary to look at the intersection of blackness and womanhood. While many who championed intersectionality early on were African American women, the theory has proven necessary to understanding a wide range of difference, including individuals' sexual orientation, age, class, disability, and more.

Nowadays, intersectionality is considered crucial to social equity work. Activists and community organizations are calling for and participating in more dynamic conversations about the differences in experience among people with different overlapping identities. Without an intersectional lens, events and movements that aim to address injustice towards one group may end up perpetuating systems of inequities towards other groups. Intersectionality fully informs YW Boston's work, by encouraging nuanced conversations around inequity in Boston. It enlightens us to health disparities among women of color, provides pathways for our youth leaders to understand identity, and is crucial to the advocacy work we support.

What can I do?

Intersectionality may seem theoretical, but it is meant to be utilized. No matter how or when you have become involved with equity work, it is always possible to more fully integrate intersectionality into your view of these issues.

Is your work toward social equity intersectional? Check out these tips and reflect:

Recognize difference.

Oftentimes, it is easier to believe and to explain to others that "all women feel" a certain way or that "LGBTQ+ people believe" some common understanding, but this does not reflect reality. We must recognize that all unique experiences of identity, and particularly ones that involve multiple overlapping oppressions, are valid.

Do not shy away from recognizing that people experience the world differently based on their overlapping identity markers. Because of the way we have been socialized to continue feeding systems of oppression, we often feel it is rude to formally recognize others' difference. We see this in how people are uncomfortable naming another person's perceived race or asking for someone's preferred pronouns. However, we must recognize these identities as a way to step beyond our assumptions that our experience is common. One way of doing so is when you attend rallies, take a look at the signs that others hold - how do they assert their identity and how does this inform the issues they care most about?

Avoid oversimplified language.

Once we recognize this difference, we can move away from language that seeks to define people by a singular identity. You may have heard after the Women's March that many trans folks and allies felt uncomfortable with the vagina-centric themes of the march. Assuming that all women have vaginas or are defined by their bodies is an oversimplification that erases the experiences of those who exist beyond the gender binary. By avoiding language that assumes our own experiences are baseline, we can open ourselves up to listening to others' points of view.

Analyze the space you occupy.

Becoming comfortable recognizing difference also involves recognizing when that difference is not represented in the spaces you occupy. Diversity of all kinds matter in your workplace, your activism, your community spaces, and more. If you are meeting with a local LGBTQ+ organization, is there representation of LGBTQ+ people of color? You may feel that your workplace is racially and ethnically diverse, but is it accessible to people with disabilities? Take note of the welcoming or distancing practices of the spaces you frequent.

Seek other points of view.

Explore the narratives of those with different interlocking identities than you. This includes surrounding yourself with others with differing interwoven identities, but keep in mind that oftentimes, even when you have a diverse group of people in an activist space, it falls on people to educate others about the oppressions they face. When these people share their experiences, take the opportunity to listen. However, do not expect people with identity markers other than your own to be there or to want to educate others. In your own time, seek out existing intersectional narratives, from your podcasts to your television. If you are unsure about a concept or want to learn more about a specific intersection of identity, Google it! This will help you be better prepared to enter into conversations with others and progress together.

Show up.

Do not expect people who face different systems of oppression than you to rally for causes you care about if you do not rally for theirs. As you hear about issues others face, learn about the work that is currently being done around these topics. Listen and defer to those who live with these intersectional identities each day. As you do, you will likely deepen your understanding of your own identity and the subjects you care about most.

Additional Resources:

Check out this TED talk by Kimberlé Crenshaw (who coined the term "intersectionality").

On your quest for more intersectional viewpoints, check out this list of podcasts.

Listen to women share their thoughts on intersectionality here and here.

To learn more about YW Boston's intersectional work, please sign up for our newsletter:

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What is intersectionality, and what does it have to do with me?

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Here at YW Boston, intersectionality is central to the work we do. We know that everyone reading this has come to follow YW Boston's work from different entry points. Some of us hold women's empowerment close to heart, perhaps seeking a more equitable world for ourselves or our daughters.

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Characteristics of White Supremacy Culture

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Characteristics of White Supremacy Culture

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Sit in on an hour long-conversation between host and standup comic, Cameron Esposito, and some of the brightest luminaries in the LGBTQ+ family. QUEERY explores individual stories of identity, personality and the shifting cultural matrix around gender, sexuality and civil rights.

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Nancy: Episodes | WNYC Studios | Podcasts

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Stories and conversations about the queer experience today. Prepare to laugh and cry and laugh again.

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The Stoop: Stories from the Black Diaspora

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The Stoop: Stories from the Black Diaspora

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The Stoop is a podcast about blackness, race, and identity in America, hosted by Leila Day and Hana Baba. They uncover stories that are not always shared out in the open.

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Yo, Is This Racist?, hosted by Andrew Ti, creator of the popular blog of the same name, is now a weekly podcast! Every Wednesday, Ti, co-host Tawny Newsome, and their guests answer questions from fan-submitted voicemails and emails about whether or not something is, in fact, racist.

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IG Account: MGH Transgender Health Program

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IG Account: MGH Transgender Health Program

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English

© 2022 Instagram from Meta

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Physical Therapists Of Color (@ptsofcolor) on Instagram

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Creator: Breana R., DPT @xthelovelybre Let’s connect & promote diversity in Physical Therapy!
Pre-PTs | SPTs | SPTAs | DPTs | PTAs
Shop⬇️

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English

© 2022 Instagram from Meta

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Embracing & Promoting OTs of Color
OT/s | OTA/s | OTR | COTA
Send us your story to be featured! #RepresentationMatters

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IG Account: BEYOND Patient Health Equity

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IG Account: BEYOND Patient Health Equity

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English

© 2022 Instagram from Meta

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BEYOND Patient Health Equity (@beyond.equity) on Instagram

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We positively impact the health of marginalized communities, by our purpose:✨Equitable Healthcare by means of Equitable Research.✨

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What's CODE SWITCH? It's the fearless conversations about race that you've been waiting for. Hosted by journalists of color, our podcast tackles the subject of race with empathy and humor. We explore how race affects every part of society - from politics and pop culture to history, food and everything in between.

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Resources for Culturally Competent and Effective Healthcare

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Resources for Culturally Competent and Effective Healthcare

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Resources available through and recommended by the Bellack Library.

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The first step to becoming a culturally effective healthcare provider is to be able to recognize and mitigate your own biases. Often these biases are unconscious or implicit, meaning you aren't even aware that you have them. The following selection of books, e-books, films and web resources about unconscious bias and racism in healthcare can help you learn more about and learn how to minimize your personal biases.
Online Resources, Reviews, and Reports

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MGH Guides: Culturally Competent and Effective Healthcare: Resources for Culturally Effective Healthcare

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The first step to becoming a culturally effective healthcare provider is to be able to recognize and mitigate your own biases. Often these biases are unconscious or implicit, meaning you aren't even aware that you have them.

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White Privilege in a White Coat: How Racism Shaped my Medical Education

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White Privilege in a White Coat: How Racism Shaped my Medical Education

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Racism and Health - American Public Health Association (APHA)

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Racism and Health - American Public Health Association (APHA)

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APHA supports National Day of Racial Healing Racism is an ongoing public health crisis that needs our attention now APHA calls out police violence as a public health crisis Declarations of racism as a public health issue
WHAT IS RACISM?
"Racism is a system of structuring opportunity and assigning value based on the social interpretation of how one looks (which is what we call "race"), that unfairly disadvantages some individuals and communities, unfairly advantages other individuals and communities, and saps the strength of the whole society through the waste of human resources."
-- APHA Past-President Camara Phyllis Jones, MD, MPH, PhD
Racism structures opportunity and assigns value based on how a person looks. The result: conditions that unfairly advantage some and unfairly disadvantage others. Racism hurts the health of our nation by preventing some people the opportunity to attain their highest level of health.

Racism may be intentional or unintentional. It operates at various levels in society. Racism is a driving force of the social determinants of health (like housing, education and employment) and is a barrier to health equity.

To achieve health equity and create the Healthiest Nation in One Generation, we must address injustices caused by racism. We must support actions at all levels to ensure equal opportunity for all.

How do we do that? Through racial healing (#RxRacialHealing). That means using a healing and heart-centered approach to get rid of the false belief that any people are superior to others based on their skin color.

MORE ON RACISM AND HEALTH

Racial Equity fact sheet (PDF)

Letter from APHA to the House of Representatives in support of H.R. 1280, the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act of 2021 (PDF)

Letter to President-elect Joe Biden urging swift repeal of ban on trainings that address racial and sex stereotyping (PDF)

Communities recognizing racism as a public health crisis ( The Nation's Health)

APHA webinar series: Advancing Racial Equity

APHA webinar series: The Impact of Racism on the Health and Well-Being of the Nation

From APHA Press: Racism: Science and Tools for the Public Health Professional

Racial Equity sessions at the APHA 2020 Annual Meeting & Expo (PDF)

Webinar: A Tale of Two Pandemics: How COVID-19 and Racism Intersect With Intimate Partner Violence

APHA policy statement: Addressing Police Violence as a Public Health Issue

Racism is undeniably a public health issue (APHA's Georges Benjamin in Popular Science)

" We need to change things so that we value all people equally."(Benjamin on PBS News Hour)

Ending police violence requires public-health based approach ( The Nation's Health)

Rooting out systemic racism in America: A Q&A with Keon Gilbert ( The Nation's Health)

Letter to Congress in support of H.R. 7120, The George Floyd Justice in Policing Act of 2020 (PDF)

Dozens of Cities Dub Racism a Public Health Crisis (Bloomberg CityLab)

Aggressive Policing and the Mental Health of Young Urban Men ( American Journal of Public Health)

Racism can shape decisions to practice in underserved communities ( The Nation's Health)

Testifying before the Helsinki Commission, Gail Christopher details innovative approach toward eliminating racism and facilitating healing in the United States

Programs work from within to prevent black maternal deaths: Workers targeting root cause - Racism ( The Nation's Health)

Achieving environmental justice in the 21st century: The way forward (APHA/National Environmental Health Partnership Council webinar)

Historic lynching tied to mortality today ( The Nation's Health)

Why ending police violence is a public health issue: A Q & A with APHA's Georges Benjamin ( The Nation's Health)

APHA's Georges Benjamin on Severe weather disasters, health & structural racism: a critical intersection

From CNN: Charlottesville, hate crimes are public health issue, experts say

AJPH editorial: " Black Lives Matter: A Commentary on Racism and Public Health"

RESOURCES AND TOOLS

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APHA supports National Day of Racial Healing Racism is an ongoing public health crisis that needs our attention now APHA calls out police violence as a public health crisis Declarations of racism as a public health issue "Racism is a system of structuring opportunity and assigning value based on the social interpretation of how one looks (which is what we call "race"), that unfairly disadvantages some individuals and communities, unfairly advantages other individuals and communities, and saps the strength of the whole society through the waste of human resources."

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Medical racism has shaped U.S. policies for centuries: The link between the 1793 yellow fever epidemic and the coronavirus

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Medical racism has shaped U.S. policies for centuries: The link between the 1793 yellow fever epidemic and the coronavirus

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People gather in New York on Feb. 4 to call for minorities to be prioritized for the coronavirus vaccine. (Justin Lane/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock)

The impact of the coronavirus pandemic has further exposed the glaring disparities between racialized groups, especially African Americans and White people.

At the start of the crisis in spring 2020, Midwestern states such as Wisconsin and Illinois, states that rank poorly in terms of quality of life for African Americans, and both North and South Carolina - Southern states with significant Black populations - had disproportionately higher rates of coronavirus cases and deaths among Black residents than White residents. Public health officials warned Americans that these disparities would reveal how medical racism, poverty, co-morbidities and labor conditions combine to harm African Americans.

They were not being hyperbolic in declaring medical racism a public health crisis.

Medical racism is not a new phenomenon. It did not start with either the Tuskegee syphilis study (an unethical experiment from 1932 to 1972 that the U.S. Public Health Service commissioned to study the effects of syphilis on 600 Black men in Alabama) or Henrietta Lacks, the mid-20th-century Black woman suffering from cancer whose cells became the first immortalized cell line in history. The origins stretch back centuries and created a system of belief and practice that allowed doctors to place blame on Black people for not having the same health outcomes as White people.

In fact, the first exposé on the dangers of medical racism emerged during a pandemic that ravaged Philadelphia just years after the founding of the nation. In 1793, there was a yellow fever outbreak and Philadelphians were dying in large numbers. Physicians were overworked. Gravediggers were running out of space, and residents were panicked.

One of the country's leading physicians and abolitionists, Benjamin Rush, asked Ministers Richard Allen and Absalom Jones, and Black entrepreneur William Gray, to call upon Black residents to assist in the effort to help end the yellow fever epidemic. Believing that Black people were more immune to it, Rush petitioned the leaders to have their community provide care and essential services for the larger White population. Allen and Jones protested, informing Rush that African Americans in the city were not only infected with the viral disease, but also dying of it in great numbers. Rush kept pressing and eventually the men agreed to solicit help from African Americans to stem the tide of the virus by performing labor as caregivers, grave diggers, body collectors, housekeepers and trash collectors.

Black Philadelphians answered the call. They went to work as essential workers on the front line. Soon, their bodies were compromised because of the labor they performed. As a result, these Black workers began to fall victim to yellow fever. That year, the epidemic killed 5,000 Philadelphians. Black Philadelphians made up 10 percent of the dead, even though they were only 6 percent of the city's population.

The disproportionate death toll exposed the deadly consequences of poverty, exploitative and dangerous labor conditions and false beliefs about biological difference. The fact that Black people had to live and work in isolated environments with infected patients, touch diseased cadavers, enter spaces to clean where the sick emitted bodily fluids and then return to their racially segregated communities after providing these services created the perfect conditions for the virus to thrive.

In fact, Allen almost died after contracting the disease. And then he read the work of prominent publisher Mathew Carey, who wrote a pamphlet condemning Black workers in 1793. "A Short Account of the Malignant Fever, Lately Prevalent in Philadelphia: With a Statement of the Proceedings that Took Place on the Subject in Different Parts of the United States" depicted Black workers as criminal and pathological. Carey accused Black workers of looting the homes of their charges, robbing the dead of their valuables and essentially profiteering from the disease.

After Carey published two more reprints, Allen and Jones located a prominent publishing house, William W. Woodward, to publish their retort and correct the record. The result was the first political tract against medical racism: "Narratives of the Proceedings of the Black People During the Late Awful Calamity in Philadelphia, in the year 1793: and a Refutation of Some Censures, Thrown Upon Them in Some Late Publications."

After a year of working to recruit Black citizens to help the city, which was devastated by disease, Allen and Jones had to shoulder the burden of researching and collecting data to refute Rush's mistaken belief about Black people's immunity to yellow fever and defend the Black community against Carey's charges of immorality and criminality. They did so with hard facts and quantitative data, providing statistical evidence on Black people's deaths.

Anti-Black racism continued to manifest in medical practices during the 1800s. Consider Samuel Cartwright's use of the spirometer, a medical instrument designed to assess lung capacity. During the antebellum era, Cartwright, an enslaver, physician and an adherent to the idea that Black and White people represented two different species, found that Black people had lower lung capacity than White people. He surmised this was objective evidence of Black people's biological inferiority. What he did not consider (or perhaps he did and did not care) was how cramped living quarters with little to no ventilation or insulation from the environment put enslaved people, the subjects of his experiments, at higher risk for respiratory conditions than White people.

By the 20th century, Black Americans were still suffering the effects of medical racism. Black women and girls in the South during the 1950s and 1960s received hysterectomies without their knowledge or consent. Infamously, as the Tuskegee experiment and Lacks case revealed, Black Americans were either neglected or exploited by institutions, both governmental and medical, that were supposed to prioritize their care. Black people's mistrust was not born of superstitions, but originated in the ways they had been treated so callously by physicians.

From the 18th century until now, African Americans were more likely to suffer because of the social determinants of health and an anti-Black bias that permeated the medical field.

Thankfully, a number of prominent organizations such as the American Medical Association, the American College of Obstetricians of Gynecologists and the March of Dimes have declared medical racism a public health crisis. These organizations now recognize the ideas advanced over two centuries ago by Allen and Jones that have since been carried on by Black health workers, activists and their organizations. Medical racism has no place in a country where Black Americans, like those who worked and suffered during the 1793 yellow fever epidemic, have contributed so much to our society. It is an outdated racial science that not only has made the United States the most dangerous developed nation for Black pregnant people to give birth, but also has made a respiratory disease into a racialized disease.

Today's Headlines The most important news stories of the day, curated by Post editors and delivered every morning.

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Perspective | Medical racism has shaped U.S. policies for centuries

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The impact of the coronavirus pandemic has further exposed the glaring disparities between racialized groups, especially African Americans and White people. At the start of the crisis in spring 2020, Midwestern states such as Wisconsin and Illinois, states that rank poorly in terms of quality of life for African Americans, and both North and South Carolina - Southern states with significant Black populations - had disproportionately higher rates of coronavirus cases and deaths among Black residents than White residents.

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How is health impacted by race and, consequently, class?

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How is health impacted by race and, consequently, class?

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UNNATURAL CAUSES | Interactivities . Accumulating Advantage | CALIFORNIA NEWSREEL

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This four-hour documentary series premiered nationally on PBS in Spring 2008, and will be rebroadcast Fridays at 10pm, October 9 through 30. Produced by California Newsreel in association with Vital Pictures, Inc. Presented by the National Minority Consortia of public television Public Impact Campaign in association with the Joint Center Health Policy Institute.

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Cultural Humility: People, Principles and Practices - Part 1 of 4

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What is white privilege? 

We asked @JohnAmaechi, psychologist, best-selling author and former NBA basketball player to explain it for us.

👉 https://t.co/t7LIENTnPn

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Psychologist John Amaechi talks about white privilege.

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What is white privilege? 

We asked @JohnAmaechi, psychologist, best-selling author and former NBA basketball player to explain it for us.

👉 https://t.co/t7LIENTnPn https://t.co/mQrYX6Y0N1

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What is white privilege?

We asked @JohnAmaechi, psychologist, best-selling author and former NBA basketball player to explain it for us.

👉 https://t.co/t7LIENTnPn pic.twitter.com/mQrYX6Y0N1
— BBC Bitesize (@bbcbitesize) August 5, 2020

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What is white privilege? 

We asked @JohnAmaechi, psychologist, best-selling author and former NBA basketball player to explain it for us.

👉 https://t.co/t7LIENTnPn https://t.co/mQrYX6Y0N1

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.metadata.attachment_props.original_text
What is white privilege? 

We asked @JohnAmaechi, psychologist, best-selling author and former NBA basketball player to explain it for us.

👉 https://t.co/t7LIENTnPn https://t.co/mQrYX6Y0N1

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.metadata.attachment_props.text
What is white privilege? 

We asked @JohnAmaechi, psychologist, best-selling author and former NBA basketball player to explain it for us.

👉 https://t.co/t7LIENTnPn

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Brave Spaces video from PPP facilitator key concepts training videos.

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The mission of the AAPI Student Space is to provide a safe space to support Asian-identifying students. This includes processing current events, discussing the diversity of our upbringing, and connecting to learn more about our identities.

This space currently is on break, please visit the link below to find out who you can contact if interested in bringing this space back!

https://www.mghihp.edu/ihp-experience/community-student-organizations

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IYKYK, the IHP Black Student Space, was created to provide black students with a sense of community within the IHP. This space is student-run to allow for a safe space to vent, share moments of joy, or moments of grief without fear of repercussion. This space currently is on break, please visit the link below to find out who you can contact if interested in bringing this space back!

https://www.mghihp.edu/ihp-experience/community-student-organizations

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Coalition of OT Advocates for Diversity (COTAD)

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Coalition of OT Advocates for Diversity (COTAD)

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The COTAD Chapter at the IHP was founded in 2019 and is designed to support occupational therapy students and faculty to work together in developing and promoting diversity and inclusion within OT education programs and in the profession. Both COTAD and the IHP COTAD Chapter create opportunities and resources to foster open conversation and increase awareness of different lived experiences to increase cultural humility and provides its members the opportunity to connect with each other and the community at large. This chapter meets and hosts educational events throughout the year.

For more information visit the IHP Student Organization page to get involved!

https://www.mghihp.edu/ihp-experience/community-student-organizations

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KinsIHP is a group of students interested in LGBTQ+ healthcare advocacy. We host a variety of events, including guest speakers and community discussions. We are also a support network for LGBTQ+ students navigating the rigorous IHP life.

For more information visit the IHP Student Organization page to get involved!

https://www.mghihp.edu/ihp-experience/community-student-organizations

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Don't Talk About Implicit Bias Without Talking about Structural Racism

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Don't Talk About Implicit Bias Without Talking about Structural Racism

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Don’t Talk about Implicit Bias Without Talking about Structural Racism

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by Kathleen Osta and Hugh Vasquez, National Equity Project

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What does it really mean to be an ally and what does it look like?

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Welcome to the Guide to Allyship.

Think of this guide as one of many starting points in your journey to become a better ally. This guide isn't meant to be comprehensive nor is it perfect. There are people far more versed than I, who have dedicated their life's work to this sort of education.

In light of recent events and tragedies, I've been hearing the word "ally" a lot. Many people want to be an "ally", and even more people are unable to fulfill the duties allyship requires.

I use the word "ally" loosely because I find it overused and often abused by those who label themselves "allies." Despite its current misuse, using a different word would only cause confusion. As you read through this guide, be aware that your definition of "ally" may not be the same as the definition I'll introduce you to.

What's so special about this guide?

There are many great guides out there, and I acknowledge their existence. What's different about this guide is that it's open source (any one can contribute to it) and it doesn't get into specifics: racism, transphobia, gender discrimination, etc. and that's by design.

This guide can't and shouldn't be everything to you. At some point, you need to take responsibility and further your education. When you're done with the guide, please find ways to learn more.

Finally, this is a resource to help anyone considering allyship better understand the pros and cons of what being an ally entails. Allies understand their role in collaboration with people whose lives are affected daily by systemic oppression.

Don't take the responsibility of being an ally lightly.

In the summer of 2016, someone I considered an ally stood by and watched as I, a Black person, was berated by a racist. To make matters worse, I had a conversation with this person earlier in the day about the power allies can wield in situations of discrimination. But when the time came for them to take action, they were more interested in protecting their comfort.

Upset, I couldn't understand what happened. Did the conversation we had not get through? What didn't they step up? Then it dawned on me:
Saying you're an ally is much easier than actually being an ally. Saying you're an ally looks good on paper, especially if you're never questioned about your inaction.
Many self-defined "allies" wear the phrase and ideology like an article of clothing, easily discarded when it's no longer fashionable to wear.

If only those from marginalized and underinvested communities could cast away the identities marking them as targets with such ease.

I noted before that I used the word "ally" loosely. In fact, I personally no longer use the word. However, I do think it's a good starting place for those learning to be better allies. I also believe there's an opportunity to explore a better definition of the word. The best definition of "ally" (that I've found) comes from author Roxane Gay in her article for Marie Claire, "On Making Black Lives Matter." In it, she notes:

Black people do not need allies. We need people to stand up and take on the problems borne of oppression as their own, without remove or distance.

We need people to do this even if they cannot fully understand what it's like to be oppressed for their race or ethnicity, gender, sexuality, ability, class, religion, or other marker of identity.

We need people to use common sense to figure out how to participate in social justice.

To recap: Being an ally doesn't necessarily mean you fully understand what it feels like to be oppressed. It means you're taking on the struggle as your own.

An individual from an underinvested community cannot easily cast away the weight of their identity (or identities) shaped through oppression on a whim. They carry that weight every single day, for better or for worse. An ally understands that this is a weight that they, too, must be willing to carry and never put down.

Why allies are necessary

Anyone has the potential to be an ally. Allies recognize that though they're not a member of the underinvested and oppressed communities they support, they make a concerted effort to better understand the struggle, every single day.

Because an ally might have more privilege and recognizes said privilege, they are powerful voices alongside oppressed ones.

Being an ally is hard work.

Many would-be allies fear making mistakes that could have them labeled as "-ist" or "-ic" (racist, sexist, transphobic, homophobic, etc). But as an ally, you're also affected by a system of oppression. This means that as an ally, there is much to unlearn and learn-mistakes are expected. You need to own this as fact and should be willing to embrace the daily work of doing better.
As an ally, you need to own your mistakes and be proactive in your education, every day.
If you refuse to acknowledge that your words and actions are inherently shaped and influenced by systemic oppression, you're setting up yourself to fail.

Lack of self-awareness is not a trait of an ally. You'll be complicit in the oppression of those you intend to help. If you choose not to understand this, but label yourself an "ally", you're essentially a wolf in sheep's clothing. You'll find ways to infiltrate vulnerable communities and wield far more power than someone who is outwardly "-ist" or "-ic" because you're "trusted."

Just as society will not change overnight, neither will you. Here are some important do's and don'ts to consider as you learn, grow, and step into the role of an ally.

The Dos

Do be open to listening

Do be aware of your implicit biases

Do your research to learn more about the history of the struggle in which you are participating

Do the inner work to figure out a way to acknowledge how you participate in oppressive systems

Do the outer work and figure out how to change the oppressive systems

Do use your privilege to amplify (digitally and in-person) historically suppressed voices

Do learn how to listen and accept criticism with grace, even if it's uncomfortable

Do the work every day to learn how to be a better ally

The Don'ts

Do not expect to be taught or shown. Take it upon yourself to use the tools around you to learn and answer your questions

Do not participate for the gold medal in the "Oppression Olympics" (you don't need to compare how your struggle is "just as bad as" a marginalized person's)

Do not behave as though you know best

Do not take credit for the labor of those who are marginalized and did the work before you stepped into the picture

Do not assume that every member of an underinvested community feels oppressed

Contributed by Presley Pizzo. Please credit Presley when referencing this section.

While mistakes are to be expected, what's the best way to go about resolving them?

Note: Parts of this section were originally based on Kayla Reed's (@iKaylaReed) tweet sharing her definition of what it means to be an ally. It's another great definition that'll help you follow along with this section!

Imagine your privilege is a heavy boot that keeps you from feeling when you're stepping on someone's feet or they're stepping on yours, while oppressed people have only sandals. If someone says, "ouch! You're stepping on my toes," how do you react?

Because we can think more clearly about stepping on someone's literal toes than we usually do when it comes to oppression, the problems with many common responses are obvious:

Centering yourself: "I can't believe you think I'm a toe-stepper! I'm a good person!"

Denial that others' experiences are different from your own: "I don't mind when people step on my toes."

Derailing: "Some people don't even have toes, why aren't we talking about them instead?"

Refusal to center the impacted: "All toes matter!"

Tone policing: "I'd move my foot if you'd ask me more nicely."

Denial that the problem is fixable: "Toes getting stepped on is a fact of life. You'll be better off when you accept that."

Victim blaming: "You shouldn't have been walking around people with boots!"

Withdrawing: "I thought you wanted my help, but I guess not. I'll just go home."

In reality, most of us naturally know the right way to react when we step on someone's toes, and we can use that to help us learn how to react when we commit microaggressions.

Center the impacted: "Are you okay?"

Listen to their response and learn.

Apologize for the impact, even though you didn't intend it: "I'm sorry!"

Stop the instance: move your foot

Stop the pattern: be careful where you step in the future. When it comes to oppression, we want to actually change the "footwear" to get rid of privilege and oppression (sneakers for all!), but metaphors can only stretch so far!

Reacting in a fair and equitable way isn't about learning arbitrary rules or being a doormat. Rather, it's about restoring and maintaining dignity and respect for everyone involved - both the person who is hurt, and you. Still, it's hard to remember in the moment, because these issues are so charged in our society. As such, it may be helpful to reframe the situation so that you don't feel defensive.

You may have noticed it's easier to handle being corrected about something you didn't know if you're grateful for and even open to the opportunity to learn rather than embarrassed to have been wrong. Being able to let go of your ego is an incredibly important skill to develop.

Try starting with "Thanks for letting me know" to put yourself in a better frame of mind. If after you say that, you need to take some time to think about the situation, that's fine, too. Just remember that this isn't about changing the other person's frame of mind. They're allowed to be upset about being oppressed.

You've made a mistake and you want to apologize. Where do you begin?

What is an apology?

Before you can apologize, you need to know what an apology is.

Apologies are social contracts that hold you accountable. They tell others that you are taking responsibility, are open to the consequences of your actions, and plan to do better in the future.

Bad apologies are performances meant to protect pride and ego. They exist to make the apologizer feel and look good, while defending their intent.

Good apologies are heartfelt acts that let go of pride and ego. They center the pain of the impacted, regardless of the apologizer's intent.

Think of pain as a gradient-it doesn't have to be extreme to have a significant impact. Accidentally misgendering someone can cause them pain. Stepping on someone' toes can cause them pain.

Attributes of a good apology

Apologies aren't a magic fix and won't solve mistakes of the past, but there are a few attributes that make for a good apology.

Timely
Delivered at the right moment in the right place and time.

Consider the context in which you want to apologize and how that might affect not only you but also the person receiving your apology.

Context can include your current mental state (are you feeling defensive? Upset? Nervous? Calm?), the physical space you're in (private or public area), or the apology's medium (phone, online, text message, in person).

Respects boundaries
Given when the person receiving the apology consents to it.

Your desire to give an apology right now doesn't mean that the receiver is ready for it. Some people need space to process, and you should respect that. When they're willing to reconnect, if at all, they may let you know (or they may not).

Self-aware
Know that the act of apology may not lead to the closure you expect.

The apology receiver may choose to never interact with you again. Either after you give an apology or before you give it. You have to find a way to make peace with that. Do not pressure or shame someone into accepting your apology.

One of the greatest gifts we can give ourselves is learning how to create closure within rather than expecting other people to give it to us.

Reflective
Signals that the apologizer is taking full responsibility for their actions.

Apologizing means letting go of your ego to show that you care about someone and want to make things right. Good apologies center the person being apologized to. They also take direct ownership of the actions that caused pain by naming them clearly.

This Guide is open-source, meaning that anyone can contribute. I'm a queer Black femme and my voice should not be the only one shaping this guide.

If you identify as a member of an underinvested community and want to contribute, please submit a pull-request on this GitHub repository.

If you aren't a GitHub user and would still like to contribute, send me an email at guidetoallyship [to] byamelie [dot] co.

This Guide is a labor of love and provided as a shareable resource for you to use. Please make sure to credit back to the site if you decide to use any content here.

And if you've found this Guide helpful, feel free to show your support and buy me a cup of tea.

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An open-source guide for anyone interested in becoming an ally.

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My Body Doesn't Oppress Me, Society Does

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My Body Doesn't Oppress Me, Society Does

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Patty Berne and Stacey Milbern present a social model of disability, explaining how universal design, adaptive devices, and meeting people’s access needs can limit the social, economic, and physical barriers that render physical impairments disabling in an ableist society.

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My Body Doesn't Oppress Me, Society Does

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Patty Berne and Stacey Milbern present a social model of disability, explaining how universal design, adaptive devices, and meeting people’s access needs can limit the social, economic, and physical barriers that render physical impairments disabling in an ableist society. Milbern notes that focusing on individual impairments “lets society off the hook” for the structural oppression that renders some bodies and lives more valuable than others. Berne says “we are seen as disposable,” noting that the oppression that society ascribes to the individual body and disability is in fact a violent social construction.

This video is part of the series No Body is Disposable, produced by Sins Invalid and the Barnard Center for Research on Women. Video by Dean Spade and Hope Dector. Learn more about the series at http://bit.ly/nobodyisdisposable

For more on the intersections between ableism, white supremacy, colonialism, capitalism, and heteropatriarchy, and disability justice tools and tactics that center disabled people of color and queer, trans, and gender non-conforming disabled people, visit http://sinsinvalid.org or download the Sins Invalid’s “Skin, Tooth, and Bone: A Disability Justice Primer” at http://bit.ly/djprimer.

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Accessibility Resources is committed to providing equitable access to learning opportunities for all students. Accessibility Resources aims to engage and empower the community, enhance equity, and provide a platform for innovation and inclusion through building collaborative relationships with all members of the community and providing leadership and guidance regarding accommodations and accessibility needs.

https://www.mghihp.edu/academics/academic-resources-services/accessibility-resources

Building 34

Emily “M” Meyer: Associate Director of Student Accessibility & Support Services; emeyer1@mghihp.edu

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Students For Equity and Anti-Racism (SEA)

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Students For Equity and Anti-Racism (SEA)

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A student led group that seeks to evaluate current MGH IHP practices and educational content by highlighting and implementing ways to provide anti-oppressive training and overall education. This group aims to foster an environment of social justice, accountability, and racial equity for current and future students, faculty, and staff across all disciplines within the learning community. To fulfill these objectives, SEA will aim to work collaboratively with IHP stakeholders, including administration and alumni, to promote a just, equitable, and anti-oppressive learning community.

For more information visit the IHP Student Organization page to get involved!

https://www.mghihp.edu/ihp-experience/community-student-organizations

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COVIDs unequal effects in Massachusetts: Remedying the legacy of environmental justice and building climate resiliance

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COVIDs unequal effects in Massachusetts: Remedying the legacy of environmental justice and building climate resiliance

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Students for Racial Justice (SRJH) is a group to facilitate dialogue about racial justice, both within the IHP community and beyond. We host book clubs, community conversations, and co-sponsor events with other student groups.

For more information visit the IHP Student Organization page to get involved!

https://www.mghihp.edu/ihp-experience/community-student-organizations

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Race is a Social Construct and NOT Biological

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Race is a Social Construct and NOT Biological

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This set of resources dives into how race is not a biological phenomenon. This is vital information for any health professional.

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Everyone can tell a Nubian from a Norwegian, so why not divide people into different races? That's the question explored in "The Difference Between Us," the first hour of the series. This episode shows that despite what we've always believed, the world's peoples simply don't come bundled into distinct biological groups. We begin by following a dozen students, including Black athletes and Asian string players, who sequence and compare their own DNA to see who is more genetically similar. The results surprise the students and the viewer, when they discover their closest genetic matches are as likely to be with people from other "races" as their own.

Much of the program is devoted to understanding why. We look at several scientific discoveries that illustrate why humans cannot be subdivided into races and how there isn't a single characteristic, trait - or even one gene - that can be used to distinguish all members of one race from all members of another.

HUMAN VARIATION

Modern humans - all of us - emerged in Africa about 150,000 to 200,000 years ago. Bands of humans began migrating out of Africa only about 70,000 years ago. As we spread across the globe, populations continually bumped into one another and mixed their mates and genes. As a species, we're simply too young and too intermixed to have evolved into separate races or subspecies.

So what about the obvious physical differences we see between people? A closer look helps us understand patterns of human variation:
In a virtual "walk" from the equator to northern Europe, we see that visual characteristics vary gradually and continuously from one population to the next. There are no boundaries, so how can we draw a line between where one race ends and another begins?
We also learn that most traits - whether skin color, hair texture or blood group - are influenced by separate genes and thus inherited independently one from the other. Having one trait does not necessarily imply the existence of others. Racial profiling is as inaccurate on the genetic level as it is on the New Jersey Turnpike.
We also learn that many of our visual characteristics, like different skin colors, appear to have evolved recently, after we left Africa, but the traits we care about - intelligence, musical ability, physical aptitude - are much older, and thus common to all populations. Geneticists have discovered that 85% of all genetic variants can be found within any local population, regardless of whether they're Poles, Hmong or Fulani. Skin color really is only skin deep. Beneath the skin, we are one of the most similar of all species.
Certainly a few gene forms are more common in some populations than others, such as those controlling skin color and inherited diseases like Tay Sachs and sickle cell. But are these markers of "race?" They reflect ancestry, but as our DNA experiment shows us, that's not the same thing as race. The mutation that causes sickle cell, we learn, was passed on because it conferred resistance to malaria. It is found among people whose ancestors came from parts of the world where malaria was common: central and western Africa, Turkey, India, Greece, Sicily and even Portugal - but not southern Africa.

CONFRONTING OUR MYTHS ABOUT RACE

We have a long history of searching for innate differences to explain disparities in group outcomes - not just for inherited diseases, but also SAT scores and athletic performance. In contrast to today's myth of innate Black athletic superiority, a hundred years ago many whites felt that Black people were inherently sickly and destined to die out. That's because disease and mortality rates were high among African Americans - the cause was poverty, poor sanitation, and Jim Crow segregation, but it was easier for most people to believe it was a result of "natural" infirmity, a view popularized by influential statistician Frederick Hoffman in his 1896 study, Race Traits and Tendencies of the American Negro.

Racial beliefs have always been tied to social ideas and policy. After all, if differences between groups are natural, then nothing can or should be done to correct for unequal outcomes. Scientific literature of the late 19th and early 20th century explicitly championed such a view, and many prominent scientists devoted countless hours to documenting racial differences and promoting man's natural hierarchy.

Although today such ideas are outmoded, it is still popular to believe in innate racial traits rather than look elsewhere to explain group differences. We all know the myths and stereotypes - natural Black athletic superiority, musical ability among Asians - but are they really true on a biological level? If not, why do we continue to believe them? Race may not be biological, but it is still a powerful social idea with real consequences for people's lives.

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Everyone can tell a Nubian from a Norwegian, so why not divide people into different races? That's the question explored in "The Difference Between Us," the first hour of the series. This episode shows that despite what we've always believed, the world's peoples simply don't come bundled into distinct biological groups.

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Login - MGH Institute of Health Professions

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Follow the JEDI Office Instagram @ihpjedi

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Follow the JEDI Office Instagram @ihpjedi