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If not now, when? Downstate Students Host 2nd Annual Racial Justice Conference
2020 has shaped up to be a year unlike anything we could have ever expected. It has
been a year marked by a series of astounding, historic, and life-altering events—first
with the unwelcome arrival of the novel coronavirus, then with the horrific killing
of George Floyd, and most recently civil unrest.
Still, I think it’s important for all of us to remember that from our greatest pain,
comes even greater progress. The heinous act at the hands of law enforcement that
left Mr. Floyd lifeless sparked global outrage, which then inspired healthy and long
overdue cross-cultural discourse, and ultimately awakened the consciousness of a nation
whose aspirational tenets have been arrested by a darker, untold history.
Here at Downstate, it further energized an already enlightened group seeking to use
their platforms and passions to spur real change—our remarkable students. Last month,
students in the College of Medicine boldly stepped into the conversation by virtually
holding the 2nd Annual Community Violence and Transformative Justice Conference entitled, “If Not
Now, When?”
Despite social distancing protocols in place, more than 100 members from the Downstate
Community participated in the event—joining a powerful dialogue between healthcare
providers, organization leaders, and community members seeking to address the incredible
health inequities and disparities in black and brown men and women that continue to
be underscored by the tragic health outcomes of these communities throughout the COVID-19
pandemic.
Designed to identify steps at the institutional level that have the “potential to transform the social, political, and economic systems that create and
perpetuate these disparities into systems that enable communities to thrive”—our students developed a dynamic program that touched on all aspects of racial injustice
in medical education and in clinical settings that require the attention of the nation,
but moreover collective, unified action from the healthcare community that has the
most direct opportunity to be a catalyst for change and a driver of health equity.
The event was keynoted by Ezelle Sanford III, PhD, a Postdoctoral Research Associate in the Program on Race, Science, and Society (PRSS)
at the University of Pennsylvania, manager of the Penn Medicine and the Afterlives
of Slavery project (PMAS), and author of the soon-to-be-published, Segregated Medicine: How Racial Politics Shaped American Health Care.
In addition to Dr. Sanford’s presentation, sessions also explored topics such as the
medical field and its intersections with the prison system and the drug war; trauma-informed
approaches to equalizing power dynamics in the clinical space; direct advocacy for
healthcare equity and justice; and national grassroots efforts to promote a bold new
comprehensive pandemic prevention initiative.
It’s events like these that truly demonstrate the spirit of our student body, the
humanity-driven passion they have for their chosen paths, and the collective influence
they have in inspiring change and justice at the most critical levels. Regardless
of whether or not news networks continue to cover the movement, the power behind their
voices and their ambitions to be great equalizers in the communities we serve aren’t
dying down, and I can’t begin to share how humbled and proud I am of the values and
virtues each of them embodies.
Many thanks to the our students in Downstate's White Coats for Black Lives group and every participating student in our College of Medicine, and across this campus,
for their timely activism and for organizing such a meaningful and successful dialogue.
I’d also like to thank Carla Boutin-Foster, M.D., MS, Associate Dean of Diversity Education and Research, who co-leads the College of
Medicine’s Health Equity Advocacy Leadership (HEAL) curriculum pathway with Christopher Roman, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Medicine and Vice Chair of Cell Biology as well as Jeffrey Putman, Ed.D., Vice President for Academic and Student Affairs, for supporting and guiding the advocacy
efforts of our student body.
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