I WANT TO THANK YOU FOR JOINING
US FOR THE NIMHD DIRECTOR'S
SEMINAR SERIES.
I'M ELISEO STABLE-PEREZ, AND I'M
DIRECTOR OF THE NATIONAL
INSTITUTE ON MINORITY HEALTH AND
HEALTH DISPARITIES.
THE GOAL OF THE SEMINAR SERIES
TO HIGHLIGHT PROMINENT
RESEARCHERS ADVANCING THE
SCIENCE OF MINORITY HEALTH AND
HEALTH DISPARITIES.
TODAY IT'S A PLEASURE TO WELCOME
DR. JOAN REEDE AS OUR VIRTUAL
PRESENTER TODAY.
DR. REEDE GRADUATED FROM BROWN
UNIVERSITY, MOUNT SINAI SCHOOL
OF MEDICINE, COMPLETED PEDIATRIC
RESIDENCY AT JOHNS HOPKINS.
AND FELLOWSHIP IN CHILD
PSYCHIATRY AT BOSTON CHILDREN'S
HOSPITAL.
SHE HOLDS MPH AND M.S. FROM
HARVARD, MBA HAVE BOSTON
UNIVERSITY.
I READ ABOUT DR. REEDE WHEN
NOMINATED FOR AN AWARD, I WAS
PART OF THE SELECTION COMMIT, AT
LEAST 20 YEARS AGO.
AMONG THE MANY AWARDS DR. REEDE
HAS WON INCLUDE HERBERT W.
NICKENS AWARD FROM SOCIETY OF
GENERAL INTERNAL MEDICINE, AS
WELL AS FROM ASSOCIATION OF
AMERICAN MEDICAL COLLEGES,
HIGHLY PRESTIGIOUS AWARD.
ACADEMIC LEADERSHIP AWARD FROM
MOREHOUSE SCHOOL OF MEDICINE.
SHE'S DEAN FOR DIVERSITY AND
COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIP AND
PROFESSOR OF MEDICINE AT HARVARD
MEDICAL SCHOOL, NIH-FUNDED
INVESTIGATOR, AS WELL AS
PROFESSOR OF SOCIETY HUMAN
DEVELOPMENT AND HEALTH HARVARD
TH CHAN SCHOOL OF PUBLIC HEALTH.
JOAN HAS A LIFELONG PASSION FOR
MENTORING AND SUPPORTING
DIVERSITY IN BIOMEDICAL SCIENCE
WORK FORCE, RESPONSIBLE FOR
DEVELOPMENT AND MANAGEMENT OF A
COMPREHENSIVE PROGRAM THAT
PROVIDES LEADERSHIP GUIDANCE AND
SUPPORT TO PROMOTE THE INCREASED
RECRUITMENT, RETENTION AND
ADVANCEMENT OF UNDERREPRESENTED
MINORITY FACULTY.
I HAD THE PRIVILEGE OF SPEAKING
TO THIS GROUP LAST YEAR.
WHILE AT HARVARD, JOAN HAS
CREATED MORE THAN 20 DIVERSITY
AND LEADERSHIP FOCUS PROGRAM,
INCLUDING FOUNDING HARVARD
MEDICAL SCHOOL MINORITY FACULTY
DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM AND
BIOMEDICAL SCIENCES CAREER
PROGRAM.
BEFORE JOINING HARVARD SERVED AS
MEDICAL DIRECTOR OF A BOSTON
COMMUNITY HEALTH CENTER, WORKED
AT A PEDIATRICS IN COMMUNITY
SETTING ACADEMIC HEALTH CENTERS,
JUVENILE PRISONS, AND PUBLIC
SCHOOLS.
SHE HAS HELD MANY ADVISORY
ROLES, AND SERVING ON HHS
ADVISORY COMMITTEE ON MINORITY
HEALTH AND SECRETARY'S ADVISORY
TO DIRECTOR OF NIH.
MOST IMPORTANTLY SHE'S A MEMBER
OF OUR COUNCIL.
AND SO PLEASE WELCOME DR. JOAN
REEDE TO GIVE HER PRESENTATION
ON ACKNOWLEDGING THE PAST,
DISRUPTING THE PRESENT, CREATING
A DIFFERENT FUTURE.
JOAN?
THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THAT
WONDERFUL INTRODUCTION.
AND FOR THE HONOR OF ACTUALLY
SERVING ON THE ADVISORY COUNCIL
FOR THIS AMAZING INSTITUTE.
AND FOR YOUR FRIENDSHIP OVER THE
YEARS.
I HAVE NO DISCLOSURES TO MAKE
TODAY.
I'M GOING TO BE TALKING ABOUT
THE HISTORICAL CONTEXT OF RACE,
SOME OF THE BENEFITS I SEE OF
DIVERSITY, ALSO FRAMEWORK OF
INCLUSIVE EXCELLENCE FROM
HARVARD MEDICAL SCHOOL.
TO UNDERSTAND THE POLICIES AND
ACTIONS OF THE PAST THAT YOU CAN
BETTER IDENTIFY THE ANTECEDENTS
AND PRECIPITANTS OF TODAY'S
CHALLENGES.
PERSISTENT CHALLENGES SUCH AS
HEALTH DISPARITIES, CHALLENGES
TO HUMAN RIGHTS, CHALLENGES TO
WHO BELONGS AND DOES NOT BELONG,
CHALLENGES TO WHO MATTERS AND
WHO DOES NOT MATTER, AND
CHALLENGES TO WHO LEADS AND DOES
NOT LEAD.
HISTORICAL POLICIES, LAWS,
REGULATIONS, AND PRACTICES
INTENTIONALLY INCLUDE AND
EXCLUDED, AND SET THE STAGE FOR
SOCIAL DETERMINANTS OF HEALTH
AND MARGINALIZE, OPPRESSION,
LACK OF REPRESENTATION
EXPERIENCED BY SO MANY TODAY.
RACIAL INJUSTICE IS NOT NEW.
WORKING AT THE PHILADELPHIA
NEGRO PUBLISHED IN 1899 TO
MICHAEL BIRD AND LINDA CLAYTON'S
2002 2002 PULITZER NOMINATIONS,
TO RECENT NEW ENGLAND JOURNAL OF
MEDICINE ARTICLES, MELANIE
SABATO, DAVID WILLIAMS, RIA BOYD
AND OTHERS, RACISM, CLASSISM,
HOLDING CERTAIN POPULATIONS DOWN
AND BACK HAS BEEN WITH US FOR SO
VERY LONG.
THESE ARE NOT NEW.
UNDERGIRDING THIS HISTORY OF
LAWS, POLICIES, AND REGULATIONS
IS A HISTORY OF SCIENCE.
SCIENCE AND MEDICINE IN EUROPE
AND THE UNITED STATES FUEL FOR
RACISM, RACE RACIST ACCOUNTS.
CONSIDER THE 12th EDITION IN
1766, WHERE HE LABELED VARIETIES
OF HUMAN SPECIES, AMERICANUS RED
HAIR, AND EUROPEANUS, WHITE,
GENTLE.
ASIATICUS, AND AFRICANUS, BLACK,
GOVERNED BY CAPRICE.
MANY HAVE SOUGHT TO CATEGORIZE
AND LABEL.
WHETHER THIS TAXA WAS BASED ON
CULTURE, GEOGRAPHY OR SKIN
COLOR, IT CAME FROM A
NEUROCENTRIC PERSPECTIVE,
PERSPECTIVE THAT DID NOT PLACE
BLACKS IN A POSITIVE LIGHT.
OTHER SCIENTISTS WOULD PROPOSE
THEIR OWN SLANT ON RACE,
INDIVIDUALS SUCH AS CHRISTOF AND
HIS WORK, OUTLINE OF THE HISTORY
OF MANKIND, TWO DIVISIONS, UGLY
BLACK RACE AND BEAUTIFUL WHITE
RACE.
ALSO PUT FORTH THE IDEA NEGRO
FELT LESS PAIN THAN ANY OTHER
RACE, SOMETHING THAT I'LL RETURN
TO LATER.
THE FATHER OF MODERN GYNECOLOGY
IS ALSO KNOWN FOR OPERATING ON
BLACK SLAVES, AND YOU SEE HIM
DEPICTED HERE, THE PAINTING BY
ROBERT BOND, WITH SLAVE LUCY AND
TWO OTHER SLAVE WOMEN LOOKING
ON.
PHYSICIANS SUCH AS SAMUEL
CARTWRIGHT IN HIS 1851 ADDRESS
TO THE MEDICAL ASSOCIATION OF
LOUISIANA DESCRIBED MULTIPLE
DIFFERENCES BETWEEN BLACKS AND
WHITES, INCLUDING BLOOD THAT WAS
BLACKER AND BONES THAT WERE
HARDER, A THEME I'LL RETURN TO
LATER.
WHAT IN MY OPINION SHOULD HAVE
BEEN CONSIDERED APPROPRIATE
BEHAVIOR, HE DESCRIBED AS
PATHOLOGICAL.
IN 1851 HE DESCRIBED THIS
TREATABLE MENTAL ILLNESS
AFFECTING BLACKS, ASSOCIATED
WITH SLAVES' ATTEMPT TO ESCAPE.
SORRY.
PSEUDOSCIENTIFIC PERSPECTIVES ON
RACE WERE ACCOMPANIED BY
POLICIES AND ACTIONS THAT SERVED
TO EXCLUDE.
I WANT TO TURN TO ANOTHER
EXAMPLE FROM THE PAST,
MASSACHUSETTS STORY OF INJUSTICE
IN EDUCATION.
A STORY OF SARAH ROBERTS,
5-YEAR-OLD ENROLLED IN ALL -BACK
ABIEL SCHOOL IN BOSTON.
HER FATHER ATTEMPTED TO ENROLLER
TO IN SCHOOLS CLOSER TO HOME,
SARAH WAS DENIED ACCESS BECAUSE
OF RACE.
MR.ROBERTS WROTE TO THE
LEGISLATURE, THE CASE ROSE TO
THE SUPREME COURT OF BOSTON,
LAWYERS WERE CHARLES SUMNER AND
ROBERT MORRIS, MORRIS ONE OF THE
FIRST BLACK LAWYERS IN THE
UNITED STATES.
1849, A JUDGE RULED AGAINST THE
PLAINTIFF AND SUMNER HELPED
ROBERTS BRING THIS BEFORE THE
STATE LEGISLATURE.
IN 1855, MASSACHUSETTS BECAME
THE FIRST STATE IN THE NATION TO
BAN SEGREGATED SCHOOLS FOR THE
ENTIRE STATE.
BUT AS WE'RE WELL AWARE
SEGREGATION IN BOSTON AND
MASSACHUSETTS DID NOT END WITH
THIS LEGISLATION.
WITH THIS ROBERTS CASE, CHARLES
SUMNER WOULD WONT CONTINUE TO
PLAY IMPORTANT ROLES, SUMNER
PASSING A DOCUMENT PASSED AS THE
CIVIL RIGHTS ACT OF 1875, STRUCK
DOWN BY THE SUPREME COURT LATER.
MOST OF US IN OUR HISTORY
CLASSES AND CIVICS CLASSES THINK
THE ACT OF 1864 WAS THE FIRST
SUCH LEGISLATION, BUT IT WAS
NOT.
1875.
THIS ROBERTS CASE OF 1849 WHERE
THE JUDGE RULED AGAINST THE
PLAINTIFF WAS LATER CITED IN
FERGUSON IN 1896.
THIS IS WHERE THE SUPREME COURT
RULED IN FAVOR OF SEPARATE BUT
EQUAL.
AT THE HIGH SCHOOL, COLLEGE,
MEDICAL STUDENT, I WAS ARARE OF
REMARKABLE INDIVIDUALS WHO
INDIVIDUALS WHO OPENED DOORS IN
MEDICINE FOR PEOPLE WHO LOOKED
LIKE ME.
IN MY SMALL WORLD, THEIR NAMES
HAD NOT BEEN SCRIPTED, STORIES
NOT SHARED, KNOWING OUR HISTORY,
WHO HISTORY MATTERS.
DR. JAMES SMITH WAS THE FIRST
BLACK IN THE U.S. TO HOLD AN
M.D., GRADUATING FROM UNIVERSITY
OF GLASGOW IN SCOTLAND, FIRST
BLACK TO RUN A PHARMACY IN THE
UNITED STATES.
DAVID JONES PECK BECAME THE
FIRST BLACK TO GRADUATE FROM A
U.S. MEDICAL COLLEGE, RUSH
COLLEGE OF MEDICINE IN CHICAGO
IN 1847.
I'M TRYING TO MAKE MY SLIDES
WORK.
GRADUATED IN 1864, REBECCA LEE
CRUMPLER, FIRST BLACK WOMAN IN
THE UNITED STATES TO EARN M.D.
DEGREE, ONLY BLACK WOMAN TO
GRADUATE FROM NEW ENGLAND FEMALE
MEDICAL COLLEGE, LATER KNOWN AS
BOSTON UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF
MEDICINE.
YOU SEE A COPY OF HER
PUBLICATION.
A PICTURE OF HER HEADSTONE.
IT WAS ONLY IN 2020, MORE THAN
100 YEARS AFTER HER DEATH, THAT
A HEADSTONE WAS LAID
COMMEMORATING HER LIFE.
SO MUCH OF OUR HISTORY IS LOST
AND UNTOLD.
STILL TODAY, THERE ARE EFFORTS
TO HIDE, MISREPRESENT, AND TO
DENY OUR PAST.
TURNING TO ANOTHER PART OF
HISTORY, INVOLVING MY HOME
INSTITUTION, HARVARD MEDICAL
SCHOOL, HISTORY OF BLACKS AT
HARVARD MEDICAL SCHOOL BEGINS
WITH AMERICAN COLONIZATION
SOCIETY, ESTABLISHED IN 1817,
PURPOSE WAS TO PURCHASE SLAVES
AND RELOCATE THEM ALONG WITH
FREED BLACK MEN IN AFRICA.
THE FIRST COLONY ESTABLISHED IN
1822 WOULD LATER BECOME KNOWN AS
LIBERIA.
DANIEL LANG WAS BORN A FREE
BLACK IN BOSTON, ANOTHER FREE
BLACK MAN PROBABLY WENT TO THAT
AIBEL SMITH SCHOOL I MENTIONED
PREVIOUSLY, ATTENDED BY SARAH
ROBERTS.
BOTH STUDIED UNDER HORACE CLARK,
SURGEON AT MASSACHUSETTS GENERAL
HOSPITAL.
MEMBERS OF THE COLONIZATION
SOCIETY APPROACHED HARVARD TO
CONSIDER ADMISSIONS FOR THEM IN
18 50, AND IN THAT YEAR MARK
DELANEY SEPARATELY APPROACHED
THE DEAN, OLIVER WENDELL HOLMES,
SEEKING ADMISSION.
MR.DELANEY WAS AN EDITOR OF THE
NORTH STAR, WITH FREDERICK
DOUGLASS, AUTHORED ARE WILLIAM
BOYD GARRISON, ABOLITIONIST, IN
THE NEWSPAPER.
ALL THREE DID MATRICULATE,
ACCEPTANCES WITHDRAWN UNDER
PROTEST FROM A FACTION OF
MEDICAL STUDENTS.
THIS STORY REFLECTS ATTITUDES
AND BELIEFS OF THE TIME, IT ALSO
SHOWS THERE WERE LOOSE
OPPORTUNITIES FOR LEADERSHIP,
HOW FEAR OF CHANGE, CONCERN OVER
THE EQUAL SHARING OF RESOURCES,
THREAT OF LOSS OF POWER BY A FEW
CAN HALT PROGRESS.
OF NOTE, HOWEVER, WHEN STORIES
LIKE THESE ARE ERASED, WHEN THEY
ARE NOT TOLD, IT CAN LEAVE ONE
WITH THE IMPRESSION THAT WE WERE
NOT HERE.
BUT THERE'S MORE TO THIS
HISTORY.
A STORY OF RESILIENCE,
PERSEVERANCE AND TRIUMPH, THE
JOURNEYS OF SNOWDEN, LIANG, AND
DELANEY CONTINUED.
SNOWDEN APPLIED UNSUCCESSFULLY
TO REENTER HARVARD IN 1853 BUT
LATER COMPLETED MEDICAL DEGREE
AT DARTMOUTH.
LIANG STUDIED IN PARIS FOR TWO
YEARS, TO RETURN AND EARN HIS
MEDICAL DEGREE FROM DARTMOUTH.
YOU SEE A COPY OF THE DIPLOMA,
PROVIDED FOR ME BY DR. JEANETTE
SABIR-HOLLOWAY OF TUFTS SCHOOL
OF DENTAL MEDICINE.
MARTIN DELANEY DID NOT
EVENTUALLY RETURN TO MEDICAL
SCHOOL, TWO YEARS AFTER LEAVING
HARVARD PUBLISHED THIS,
POLITICALLY CONSIDERED,
CONTINUING CAREER AS AUTHOR,
JOURNALIST, ABOLITIONIST, AND
SOLDIER.
DURING THE CIVIL WAR, HE
RECRUITED THOUSANDS FOR THE
UNION ARMY, WAS COMMISSIONED A
MAJOR IN THE 57th U.S. COLORED
TROOPS REGIMENT, BECOMING THE
FIRST LINE OFFICER IN U.S. ARMY
HISTORY.
DURING THE POST CIVIL WAR,
RECONSTRUCTION PERIOD, HARVARD
MEDICAL SCHOOL GRADUATED FIRST
BLACKS, CHANGES WERE OCCURRING
AT THE DENTAL SCHOOL WITH ROBERT
TANNER FREEMAN, ALSO THE FIRST
BLACK TO RECEIVE A DENTISTRY
DEGREE FROM ACADEMIC INSTITUTION
IN THE UNITED STATES.
IN THIS PERIOD OF CHANGE JOHN
VAN SURLY DEGRASSE WAS THE FIRST
BLACK ADMITTED TO A MEDICAL
SOCIETY, MASSACHUSETTS MEDICAL
SOCIETY, 1854, LATER
COMMISSIONED PHYSICIAN WITH THE
U.S. ARMY.
THE AMA WAS FOUNDED IN 1845,
RACIALLY EXCLUSIVE.
ONE OF THE RESPONSES TO THAT
EXCLUSION WAS FOUNDING OF THE
NATIONAL MEDICAL ASSOCIATION IN
1895.
THIS STORY OF EXCLUSION IS LONG
AND EMBEDDED IN THE FABRIC OF
MEDICINE.
IN 1895, 85 BLACK PHYSICIANS IN
THE U.S., ONLY 7% WERE GRADUATES
OF WHITE MEDICAL SCHOOLS, TEN
YEARS LATER, 1905, 1465 BLACK
PHYSICIANS IN THE COUNTRY,
MAJORITY GRADUATED FROM BLACK
MEDICAL SCHOOLS, HOWARD,
MEHARRY, 14% FROM WHITE SCHOOL.
IN 1910, THERE WAS A SEA CHANGE,
IN MEDICINE, FOLLOWED
PUBLICATION OF THE FLEXNER
REPORT, THOSE THAT DID NOT
EMPHASIZE SCIENCE OR SPECIALISM,
THOSE WITH LITTLE EQUIPMENT.
THIS REPORT SERVED TO ADVANCE
ACADEMIC MEDICINE, HAD MIXED AND
LASTING NEGATIVE CONSEQUENCES
FOR BLACKS.
FLEXNER STATED MEDICAL SCARE OF
THE NEGRO RACE WILL NEVER BE
WHOLLY LEFT TO NEGRO PHYSICIANS.
NEGRO MUST BE EDUCATED, NOT ONLY
FOR HIS SAKE BUT FOR OURS.
HE HAS HIS RIGHTS AND DUE AND
VALUE AS AN INDIVIDUAL, BUT HE
HAS BESIDES THE TREMENDOUS
IMPORTANCE THAT BELONGS TO A
POTENTIAL SOURCE OF INFECTION
AND CONTAGION.
SORRY, STILL TRYING TO GET THIS
DONE.
NEGRO NEEDS GOOD SCHOOLS,
SCHOOLS TO WHICH THE MORE
PROMISING RACE CAN BE SENT TO
RECEIVE A SUBSTANTIAL EDUCATION,
WHICH HYGIENE IS ACCENTUATED.
IF THESE MEN CAN BE IMBUED WITH
MISSIONARY SPIRIT SO THEY LOOK
UPON THE DIPLOMA AS A COMMISSION
TO SERVE THEIR PEOPLE HUMBLY AND
DEVOTEDLY.
FLEXNER REPORT LED TO THE
CLOSING OF ALL BUT TWO BLACK
MEDICAL SCHOOLS, HOWARD AND
MEHARRY, IT REINFORCED EXCLUSION
OF BLACKS AT OTHER MEDICAL
SCHOOLS.
ADVOCATING BLACKS BE TRAINED,
LIMITING ACCESS TO SPECIALTY
TRAINING, ADVANCEMENT IN
MEDICINE.
HE PROVIDED FODDER FOR
ASSUMPTION THAT REMAIN WITH US
TODAY, RATIONALE POSITIVE FOR
TRAINING BLACKS SO THEY CAN
SERVE BLACK PATIENTS AND BLACK
COMMUNITIES.
IT IGNORES THE FACT THEY CAN
TEACH AND DO RESEARCH AND LEAD,
THAT ALL PHYSICIANS HAVE A
PROFESSIONAL RESPONSIBILITY TO
SERVE MINORITY AND DISADVANTAGED
POPULATIONS.
WHAT ARE IMPLICATIONS OF A
SYSTEM OF CARE PRE AND POST
FLEXNER?
JUXTAPOSED AGAINST INCLUSION,
OPPORTUNITY, PRIVILEGE FOR
OTHERS?
A SYSTEM HOLDING A SCIENCE BUT
WITH ERRONEOUS BELIEFS ABOUT
RACE, SERVE TO ENRICH SOME,
DEVALUING OTHERS, PART OF THE
UNDERPINNINGS FOR EXTREMELY
PUBLISHING PERIOD IN THIS
COUNTRY.
A TIME CONCERNS ABOUT
DEMOGRAPHIC AND POPULATION
CHANGES AND ECONOMY, POOR,
DISABLED, MENTALLY ILL AND
PEOPLE OF COLOR, BEING SEEN AS
UNFIT, NOT CAPABLE OF IMPROVING
THE GENETIC QUALITY OF THE
POPULATION.
A TIME EUGENICS COINED IN 1883
GAINED INCREASED REPORTING IN
OUR SOCIETY.
IT IS LEADERS OF THIS MOVEMENT
SUCH AS DAVENPORT WHO RAISED
IMMIGRATION RESTRICTION AND
STERILIZATION AS PRIMARY METHODS
OF CONTROL WHILE FAVORING
SEGREGATION.
THE U.S. CARRIED OUT THE
TUSKEGEE STUDY, THE RESIDUALS OF
WHICH HAVE LEFT COMMUNITIES
DOUBTING AND MISTRUSTING THE
HEALTH SYSTEM.
THESE ARE EXAMPLES OF THE WAYS
RACISM AND BIAS IN SCIENCE AND
MEDICINE CAN CONTRIBUTE TO
EGREGIOUS OUTCOMES, ACTIONS AND
BELIEFS AT ONE TIME PUT FORWARD
AS SCIENCE, BECAME AND HAVE
BECOME INGRAINED IN OUR
STRUCTURES, OUR POLICIES, OUR
PRACTICES, TO THE POINT WHERE WE
OFTEN DO NOT RECOGNIZE THE
ORIGINS AS INFLUENCING ACTIONS
AND BELIEFS OF TODAY.
FAMILY PLANNING SERVICES AND
RESEARCH ACT OF 1970 LED TO THE
STERILIZATION OF THOUSANDS OF
NATIVE AMERICAN WOMEN.
1965 STUDY FOUND ONE-THIRD OF
PUERTO RICAN MOTHERS 20-49 WERE
STERILIZED, STERILIZE.
I DID NOT UNFORTUNATELY LEARN
ABOUT THIS IN MEDICAL SCHOOL OR
RESIDENCY BUT RATHER LATER IN MY
CAREER, ESTABLISHING THE
COMMITTEE TO TO END, AND
ABORTION RIGHTS, AGAIN
STERILIZATION ABUSE, SHE WAS THE
FIRST LATINA ELECTED PRESIDENT
OF THE AMERICAN PUBLIC HEALTH
ASSOCIATION.
THIS POINTS TO CRITICAL
IMPORTANCE OF HAVING DIVERSE
LEADERS, ROLE MODELS,
INDIVIDUALS WHO WILL SHARE AND
TELL OUR HISTORY AND OUR STORY.
THE FIGHT AGAINST INVOLUNTARY
STERILIZATION IS SEEN IN
MISSISSIPPI APPENDECTOMY, COINED
BY A CIVIL RIGHTS ACTIVIST.
IN SOUTHERN STATES THOUSANDS OF
BLACK WOMEN WERE STERILIZED IN
TEACHING HOSPITALS.
EVENTS IN RECENT TIMES WE
CONTINUE TO SEE ALLEGATIONS
ABOUT HYSTERECTOMIES BEING
PERFORMED WITHOUT CONSENT.
EARLIER I MENTIONED SOME
PSEUDOSCIENTIFIC MYTHOLOGY,
PROPAGANDA PUT FORTH BY
INDIVIDUALS.
TODAY FALSE BELIEFS PERCOLATE
THROUGHOUT OUR SOCIETY N A 2016
REPORT FROM UNIVERSITY OF
VIRGINIA MEDICAL STUDENTS AND
RESIDENTS WERE FOUND NOT TO BE
IMMUNE TO THESE RACIST BELIEFS.
RESEARCHERS FOUND THAT ON
AVERAGE, THESE STUDENTS AND
RESIDENTS ENDORSED 11.5% OF
FALSE BELIEFS, BIOLOGICAL
DIFFERENCES BETWEEN BLACK AND
WHITE.
FALSE BELIEFS SUCH AS BLACKS AGE
MORE SLOWLY THAN WHITES, BLACK
NERVE ENDINGS ARE LESS SENSITIVE
THAN WHITES, BLACK PEOPLE'S
BLOOD COAGULATES MORE QUICKLY
THAN WHITES, BLACK SKIN IS
THICKER THAN WHITES, BLACKS HAVE
STRONGER IMMUNE SYSTEMS THAN
WHITES.
IMPORTANTLY, THESE FALSE BELIEFS
ABOUT BIOLOGICAL DIFFERENCES
INFORM PERCEPTIONS OF PAIN.
RATING BLACKS HAVING LESS PAIN,
THOSE THAT ENDORSE THESE FALSE
BELIEFS WERE LESS ACCURATE IN
TREATMENT RECOMMENDATIONS.
LASTING IMPACT, THERE'S ALSO THE
POSITIVE IMPACT AND POWER OF
KNOWLEDGE GENERATION AND
DISSEMINATION, THE POWER OF
INDIVIDUALS WITH DIFFERENT
INTERESTS, BACKGROUNDS,
PERSPECTIVES ASKING DIFFERENT
QUESTIONS, STUDYING DIFFERENT
POPULATIONS.
LOOKING BACK WE REALIZE THE
FINDINGS OF DR. KEN EARTH CLARK
AND MIRIAM CLARK, IMPORTANT IN
BROWN VERSUS BOARD OF EDUCATION.
THEIR WORK SUGGESTED SEGREGATION
HARMS CHILDREN BY EXTENSION
SOCIETY AT LARGE.
TODAY WE SEE NEW ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
OF RACE AND RACISM, NEED TO
ADDRESS OUR HISTORY OF EXCLUSION
AND VALUING AND MARGINALIZATION.
LOOKING AT STATEMENTS FROM
GOVERNMENT AGENCIES SUCH AS NIH
AND CDC, ORGANIZATIONS
REPRESENTING EDUCATIONAL
INSTITUTIONS SUCH AS AAMC,
ACGME, ORGANIZATIONS
REPRESENTING PROFESSIONAL
ASSOCIATIONS, AMA, FASEB, WE SEE
AT LEAST IN WORDS THE NEED TO
ADDRESS THE WAYS IN WHICH OUR
BELIEFS, ACTIONS, AND INACTION
HAVE BEEN EMBEDDED IN THE FABRIC
AND STRUCTURES, AND IN OUR
SCIENCE, AND PRACTICE OF
MEDICINE.
WHY DO I FEEL DIVERSITY IS
IMPORTANT?
I THINK DIVERSITY IS IMPORTANT
BECAUSE IT HELPS US TO REALIZE
OUR VALUES.
IT HELPS US ADDRESS COMPLEX
ISSUES MORE EFFECTIVELY, ASSURES
VIABILITY OF ORGANIZATIONS OF
OUR PROFESSION.
BUT WORK TOWARDS DIVERSITY,
INCLUSION, BELONGING,
ACCESSIBILITY HAS BEEN TREATED
AS AN ADD-ON.
THERE'S A MISSION OF OUR
ORGANIZATION, ACADEMIC MEDICAL
CENTERS, TRIPARTITE MISSION OF
EDUCATION, RESEARCH, SERVICE,
HISTORICALLY DIVERSITY EFFORTS
MOSTLY SIDELINED TO A PARTICULAR
OFFICE OR COMMITTEE, OR PERSON
OR A PARTICULAR DAY, WEEK OR
MONTH.
DIVERSITY IS NOT FULLY EMBRACED
BY LEADERSHIP AND THE NEED FOR
CHANGE HAS NOT BEEN OWNED AND
SHARED BY THE ENTIRE COMMUNITY.
WE FAIL TO EXAMINE THE WAYS IN
WHICH DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION
CAN BE FOSTERED OR HAMPERED
THROUGH OUR POLICIES AND
PRACTICES.
HERE DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION
SPEAKS TO AN ENVIRONMENT SEEKING
INCLUSIVE EXCELLENCE.
AN ENVIRONMENT WHERE DIVERSITY
AND INCLUSION ARE EMBEDDED IN
THE FABRIC OF THE ORGANIZATION.
AN ORGANIZATION WHERE BOTH
INCLUSION AND EXCLUSION ARE
VALUED, SOUGHT, THEME IS NOT
MUTUALLY EXCLUSIVE BUT RATHER
ESSENTIAL FOR SUCCESS AND I
WOULD POSIT THAT WITHOUT
DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION, WITHOUT
EMBEDDING, IT'S POSSIBLE TO
ACHIEVER AND SUSTAIN
INCLUSIVISM.
IN REALIZING VALUES I'M
REFERRING TO VALUES OF SOCIAL
JUSTICE AND EQUITY.
THE 2002 AMERICAN BOARD OF
INTERNAL MEDICINE CHARTER
MENTIONS THREE PRINCIPLES.
WELFARE, PATIENT AUTONOMY,
PRINCIPLE OF SOCIAL JUSTICE.
THE 2001 IOM REPORT TALKS ABOUT
SIX AIMS, IMPROVING HEALTH CARE
SERVICES.
SAFETY, EFFECTIVENESS,
TIMELINESS, PATIENT
CENTEREDNESS, EFFICIENCY,
EQUITY, SOCIAL JUSTICE AND
EQUITY.
ADDRESSING SOCIAL JUSTICE AND
EQUITY SERVE TO COUNTER
DISCRIMINATION.
IN SHORT EQUITABLE
REPRESENTATION AND SUPPORT
DISTRIBUTED JUSTICE TAKES INTO
CONSIDERATION EQUITABLE
OUTCOMES, SOCIALLY JUST
ALLOCATION OF RESOURCES.
REALIZING VALUES MEANS MOVING
FROM JUST LETTING INDIVIDUALS
PEEK THROUGH WINDOWS OR ENTER
THE ROOM OR SIT ON THE
SIDELINES, MOVES BEYOND LETTING
THEM HAVE A SEAT AT THE TABLE
AND MOVES TOWARD ENSURING THAT
VOICES ARE HEARD.
INDIVIDUALS ARE ACTIVE,
RESPECTED, VALUED PARTICIPANTS
IN DELIBERATIONS, IT MOVES
TOWARDS INDIVIDUALS BEING IN
POSITIONS TO SET AGENDAS, LEAD
DISCUSSIONS, INVITE OTHERS IN.
IT'S NOT ONLY ABOUT DIVERSITY,
IT'S ABOUT INCLUSION AND
BELONGING.
IT'S ALSO NOT ONLY ABOUT ASKING
WHO IS IN THE ROOM BUT ASKING
IMPORTANT QUESTION OF WHO IS NOT
IN THE ROOM.
WHO IS NOT BEING HEARD?
WHO IS NOT HAVING AN OPPORTUNITY
TO LEAD?
DIVERSITY INVOLVES INCLUDING
PEOPLE WITH DIFFERENT INTERESTS,
PERSPECTIVES, WHO WILL ASK
DIFFERENT QUESTIONS, WHO WILL
ENRICH ANALYSES, OPEN NEW WAYS
OF THINKING BY SEEING THROUGH
LENSES, INDIVIDUALS FROM
DIFFERENT BACKGROUNDS,
EDUCATION, TRAINING, DIFFERENT
CULTURES AND ENVIRONMENTS, WHO
SEE THE WORLD THROUGH DIFFERENT
WAYS.
TO TRULY IMPROVE THE HEALTH OF
THE INDIVIDUALS, FAMILIES, AND
COMMUNITIES WE NEED TO CONSIDER
DETERMINANTS OUTSIDE OF OUR
OFFICES, CLINICS, HOSPITALS, AND
LABS.
SOCIAL DETERMINANTS THAT ARE
IMPACTED BY THE ENVIRONMENT,
WHERE AND HOW PEOPLE LIVE, THE
OPTIONS AVAILABLE TO THEM, BE IT
HEALTHY FOOD, SAFE LIVING
CONDITIONS, FREEDOM FROM TOXIC
EXPOSURES, ACCESS TO QUALITY
EDUCATION.
WE ALSO NEED TO RECOGNIZE THE
POLITICAL DETERMINANTS OF
HEALTH, THOSE LAWS AND
REGULATIONS AND POLICIES AND
PRACTICES THAT UNDERPIN THE
SOCIAL DETERMINANTS.
THE CONTEXT AND HISTORY BEHIND
THE CHALLENGES OF TODAY.
UNDERSTAND WHAT HAS BEEN DONE,
SO THAT WE CAN BETTER UNDERSTAND
WHAT NEEDS TO BE UNDONE.
ENSURING VIABILITY, PROJECTING
FORWARD FROM 2018, PERCENTAGE
CHANGES FROM 50%, TO 36%,
INCREASINGLY STATIC IN BLACK AND
ASIAN CHILDREN, CURRENT AND
FUTURE HIGH SCHOOL AND COLLEGE
GRADUATES, PHYSICIANS,
SCIENTIST, PROFESSORS, CEOS,
WILL BE INCREASINGLY DIVERSE,
THESE DIVERSE YOUNG AMERICANS
ARE OUR FUTURE.
THE FUTURE OF OUR PROFESSIONS,
OF ACADEMIC MEDICINE, OF OUR
RESEARCH ENTERPRISE.
IDENTIFYING THEM, ENCOURAGING
THEM, NURTURING THEM, PROVIDING
OPPORTUNITIES TO EXPLORE CAREER
PATHS, WILL CONTINUE TO BE
ESSENTIAL.
WHEN WE CONSIDER THE PIPELINE
INTO STEMM, SCIENCE WORKFORCE,
HISTORICAL CONCEPTS OF RACIAL
HIERARCHY, LABELING, EXCLUSION,
BARRIERS TO INCLUSION
ADVANCEMENT HAVE BEEN CARRIED
FORWARD.
HERE WE SEE THE WORDS FROM
HERBERT SPENCER, THE REASONS FOR
NOT EDUCATING NEGRO CHILDREN
ALONG WITH WHITE CHILDREN HAS
BEEN AFTER A CERTAIN AGE THEY DO
NOT CORRESPONDLY ADVANCE,
INTELLECTS BEING APPARENTLY
INCAPABLE OF BEING CULTURED
BEYOND A PARTICULAR POINT, AND
WE SEE 100 YEARS LATER JENSEN
SAYING NO AMOUNT OF EQUALITY OR
OPPORTUNITY OR IMPROVEMENT OF
FACILITIES WILL RESULT IN
QUALITY OF ACHIEVEMENT OR ANY
IMPROVEMENT OF CHANCES FOR THE
NEGRO POPULATION TO COMPETE ON
EQUAL TERMS.
WORDS MATTER.
WORDS STICK.
WE'VE BEEN DEALING WITH ISMS IN
THE CLASSROOM.
I'M A PEDIATRICIAN.
I STARTED TO WONDER, WHAT ARE
THE IMAGES AND MESSAGES THAT
WE'RE SENDING CHILDREN ABOUT
FUTURES?
FUTURES IN SCIENCE, BIOMEDICAL
SCIENCES, HEALTH SCIENCES?
I ACTUALLY DID A GOOGLE SEARCH.
HERE'S A GOOGLE SEARCH, YOU PUT
IN THE WORD, SMART CHILD.
LOOK AT IMAGES.
I'LL GO THROUGH THEM FAIRLY
QUICKLY IF I CAN GET MY COMPUTER
TO WORK.
THIS IS A SMART CHILD.
THIS IS A SCIENTIST.
THIS IS A PROFESSOR.
DIVERSITY.
YES OR NO?
THIS IS PROFESSIONAL HAIRSTYLE,
THIS IS GOOD IN 2020 BECAUSE
THERE HAD BEEN SOME CASES THAT
HAD GONE TO COURT, THERE WAS
WRITING IN THE NEWSPAPERS ABOUT
THIS.
AND SO THERE'S MORE DIVERSITY IN
2020 THAN IF WE LOOKED AT GOOGLE
SEARCHES IN 2019 OR 2018.
BUT IF YOU LOOK AT
UNPROFESSIONAL, YOU SEE PEOPLE
THAT LOOK LIKE ME.
SO WHAT HAPPENED AFTER 2020?
THIS AWAKENING, THIS REALIZATION
OF DISPARITIES, DIFFERENCES
RELATED, THE KILLING OF GEORGE
FLOYD AND SO MANY OTHERS,
AWAKING AROUND RACISM IN THE
NEWS CHILDREN SAW.
BETTER, SMART CHILD.
THERE WAS DIVERSITY.
NOT SO MUCH BETTER WHEN WE THINK
ABOUT THE SCIENTIST.
OR GENDER DIVERSITY BUT NOT
RACIAL/ETHNIC DIVERSITY.
PROFESSIONAL WOMEN.
UNPROFESSIONAL.
NOT MUCH CHANGE.
SO WHAT ARE SOME OF THE
PERSISTENT BARRIERS?
THEY OCCUR AT MULTIPLE LEVELS.
THE INDIVIDUAL IN TERMS OF
OPPORTUNITY, PREPARATION,
RESOURCES THAT ARE MADE
AVAILABLE.
WITHIN OUR ORGANIZATIONS,
CULTURE, POLICIES, PRACTICES,
ALSO AT OUR SOCIETAL LEVEL, IN
TERMS OF POLICIES.
POLITICS, ECONOMICS OF WHAT'S
GOING ON WITHIN OUR SOCIETY.
WHAT IS IT THAT INDIVIDUALS FEEL
IN TERMS OF DIVERSITY AND
BARRIERS, CHALLENGES THEY ARE
FACED WITH?
STEREOTYPES, TOKENISM, ISOLATION
AND EXCLUSION.
EXPECTATIONS OF SERVICE,
MICROAGGRESSION AND BIAS,
UNCONSCIOUS OR BIAS, AND BEING
HYPER VISIBLE AND INVISIBLE AT
THE SAME TIME.
NOT A GREAT DEAL OF CHANGE.
THIS IS A BOOK, VOICES WITHIN
THE VEIL BY DUBOISE.
HE SAID IN IT, TALKED ABOUT WHAT
IT WAS TO BE BLACK IN AMERICA.
NOT EACH DAY BUT EACH WEEK, EACH
MONTH, EACH YEAR.
FEELING HOSTILE ENVIRONMENTS,
HOW I TRAVELED, WHAT WORK I DID,
WHAT INCOME I RECEIVED, WHERE I
ATE, WHERE I SLEPT, WHO I
TAUGHT, WHERE I SOUGHT
RECREATION, STUDIED, WHAT I
WROTE, AND WHAT I COULD GET
PUBLISHED.
WE STILL HEAR OF THESE THINGS
TODAY.
THOSE MICROAGGRESSIONS IN
ACTION.
WHERE ARE YOU FROM?
YOU SPEAK GOOD ENGLISH.
YOU ARE SO ARTICULATE.
WHEN I LOOK AT YOU, I DON'T SEE
COLOR.
I HAVE SEVERAL BLACK FRIENDS.
I BELIEVE THE MOST QUALIFIED
PERSON SHOULD GET THE JOB.
WHY ARE YOU SO QUIET?
WHY AREN'T YOU MORE VERBAL?
WORDS.
WORDS MATTER.
WORDS WE CHOOSE SAY HOW WE
JUDGE.
WELCOME, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN.
DO YOU HAVE A GIRLFRIEND, A
WIFE?
THAT'S SO GAY.
THEY ARE A RETARD, LAME, CRAZY,
STUPID.
THE WORDS WE CHOOSE MATTER.
THE GENDER BIAS, THESE ISSUES OF
INTERSECTIONALITY.
YOU SEE THIS CARTOON, EXCELLENT
SUGGESTION, MISS TRIGS, PERHAPS
ONE OF THE MEN HERE WOULD LIKE
TO MAKE IT.
WHAT HAPPENS WHEN WE'RE A
PIONEER, WHEN YOU ENTER THESE
SPACES AND YOU'RE THE FIRST?
WE'RE STILL SEEING FIRSTS.
WHEN YOU'RE ASKED TO BE MORE
CONFIDENT, TO FIT WITHIN THE
ORGANIZATION, AND CULTURE, AND
I'VE ALREADY SPOKEN ABOUT HOW
THESE CULTURES WERE DEVELOPED
AND WHAT'S EMBEDDED WITHIN THEM.
WHEN WE HAVE TO MAKE OTHERS FEEL
COMFORTABLE WITH DIFFERENCE YOU
BRING WHEN YOU ARE EXPECTED TO
REPRESENT YOUR IDENTITY GROUP,
THE PERSON ASKS ME WHAT DO WOMEN
THINK ABOUT THIS?
WHAT DO MINORITIES THINK ABOUT
THIS?
WHAT DO BLACKS THINK ABOUT THIS?
WE HAVE TO DISPROVE COLLEAGUES'
PRE-CONCEPTIONS ABOUT YOU,
MEMBERS OF YOUR GROUP, WHEN
ASKED TO RECRUITED AND DO
OUTREACH, OTHERS ARE NOT ASKED
TO DO IT.
WHEN PEOPLE ARE QUESTIONING WHY
OR HOW YOU GOT THE JOB, YOU'RE
ASKED TO SERVE ON SO MANY
COMMITTEES COULD IN THE SENSE
OUR INSTITUTIONS ARE RECOGNIZING
THE NEED FOR DIVERSITY AT THE
TABLE BUT OFTENTIMES WE ARE
ASKED TO DO THIS, NOT GETTING
RECOGNIZED, NOT GETTING VALUED
FOR DOING THIS WORK, NOT GETTING
COMPENSATED FOR DOING THIS WORK,
WHILE CARRYING ON ALL OF OUR
OTHER WORK.
AND NOT BEING MOVED FORWARD OR
ADVANCED IN OUR PROFESSIONS.
WHETHER DOES THIS LEAVE IS,
ISOLATION, EXCLUSION, SWITCHING,
MOVING FROM ONE PLACE TO
ANOTHER, HOW DO I FIT IN?
I SAW THIS WITH MY DAUGHTER.
I LIVE IN BOSTON.
AND WE WOULD VISIT MY MOTHER WHO
LIVED IN THE SUBURBS.
I WATCHED MY DAUGHTER TRYING TO
FIGURE OUT WHAT WAS GOING ON,
SHE WOULD CHANGE HER CLOTHES,
HER STYLE, CHANGE HER SNEAKERS,
AS SHE WENT FROM ONE
NEIGHBORHOOD TO ANOTHER SO THAT
SHE COULD FIT IN.
WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOUR WORLD IS
TRYING TO FIT IN?
THIS BEING HYPERVISIBLE AND
INVISIBLE AT THE SAME TIME,
UNDERSTANDING YOU'RE BEING
EXAMINED IN A VERY DIFFERENT
WAY.
EXPECTATIONS OF SERVICE, BEING
UNDERRESOURCED AND STARTING TO
THINK YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO BE ABLE
TO ACHIEVE SO VERY MUCH WITH SO
VERY LITTLE AND THE TAX THAT
PUTS ON YOU.
THIS LACK OF VALIDATION AND
MINIMIZATION OF OUR
ACCOMPLISHMENTS OR OUR AREAS OF
INTEREST, AREAS OF STUDY AND
FOCUS AND RESEARCH.
AND THIS TOKENISM, THIS SENSE
THAT AM I AN IMPOSTOR, DO I
BELONG?
WHAT DOES THIS DO?
IS THERE AN IMPACT?
IF WE START TO LOOK AT THIS AND
WE START TO LOOK AT THE BODY OF
LITERATURE ABOUT THE WAYS IN
WHICH THOSE ON THE MARGINS,
PEOPLE OF COLOR, BIPOC, WOMEN,
LGBTQ, DISABLED, ARE LESS LIKELY
TO RECEIVE AWARDS, LESS LIKELY
TO BE DEANS, EDITORS, DEPARTMENT
CHAIRS.
HAVE LOWER PUBLICATIONS, LESS
CITATIONS, LESS OFTEN ASKED TO
BE KEYNOTE OR MODERATOR,
PANELIST, LESS OFTEN INVITED TO
SPEAK.
BUT THESE ARE THE METRICS WE'RE
USING WHEN YOU'RE ASSESSING
WHETHER OR NOT PEOPLE SHOULD BE
PROMOTED IN OUR ACADEMIC
ENVIRONMENTS, WE'RE EXCLUDING
AND USING THOSE CRITERIA TO
DETERMINE IF SOMEONE IS WORTHY
OF ADVANCEMENT.
SO WHAT ARE SOME OF THE SIGNS
WITHIN OUR ORGANIZATION THAT
SHOULD GIVE US PAUSE, TO SAY
SOMETHING'S WRONG, WHEN OUR
WORKPLACE AND TEAMS ARE NOT
REFLECTIVE OF DEMOGRAPHIC SHIFTS
IN OUR COUNTRY.
WHEN WE DON'T CHALLENGE WHAT WE
DO AND WHY WE DO IT, OLD WAYS,
WE BELIEVE AND ACT ON MYTH AND
ANECDOTE, DON'T SAY WHY.
WHEN WE DON'T QUESTION NOT ONLY
WHO IS IN THE ROOM BUT WHO IS
NOT IN THE ROOM, WHOSE VOICES
ARE NOT BEING HEARD.
WHEN WE ARE COMFORTABLE WITH
STATUS QUO, IMAGES AND PICTURES
ON THE WALL, WE HEAR INDIVIDUALS
WHO SERVES AND WHO LEADS AND WHO
SPEAKS FOR US, WHEN WE'RE
COMFORTABLE WITH THAT, IT SHOULD
GIVE US PAUSE.
WHEN WE DON'T ACKNOWLEDGE
POTENTIAL AND WHEN WE ARE
FOREVER REACTIVE.
IT SHOULD NOT TAKE THE DEATH OF
ANOTHER BLACK PERSON FOR US TO
STEP UP AND SAY RACISM IS A
PROBLEM, WE MUST ACT.
HOW DO WE BECOME PRO-ACTIVE AND
INTENTIONAL?
I'M GOING TO TALK A LITTLE NOW
ABOUT THE PROGRAMS OUT OF MY
OFFICE AND MY APPROACH.
HARVARD MEDICAL SCHOOL'S
APPROACH TO THIS AREA.
AND OFFICE FOR DIVERSITY
INCLUSION AND COMMUNITY
PARTNERSHIP.
BELONGING, ACCESS ACROSS OUR
SYSTEM.
AND HAVING THESE CONTINUITY
ACROSS THE SPECTRUM, NOT THAT
YOU DO A PROGRAM AT ONE POINT IN
THE ACADEMIC SPECTRUM AND
BECAUSE I'VE GIVEN YOU THIS
PROGRAM IN HIGH SCHOOL YOU'RE
EXPECTED, THIS IS SUPPOSED TO
SERVE YOU FOR THE REST OF YOUR
CAREER BUT UNDERSTAND AS
INDIVIDUALS, THERE SHOULD BE
MULTIPLE POINTS FOR ENTRY, EXIT,
AND REENTRY, AND THERE ARE
CHANGES IN PROGRESSION, HOW DO
WE MAKE THOSE CONNECTIONS ACROSS
THE CAREER SPECTRUM.
CONSISTENCY AND OF THE, TOO
OFTEN WE START D.E.I. PROGRAMS,
AND TWO, THREE, FOUR, FIVE YEARS
WE SAY WE HAVEN'T ACHIEVED OR
GOALS.
THERE'S BEEN HUNDREDS OF YEARS
TRYING TO UNDO, SO HOW DO WE
BRING OUR REQUIREMENTS FOR
EVIDENCE BASE WE HAVEN'T
ARRESTED WHAT WE DO IN MEDICINE,
HOW DO WE BRING THAT TO BEAR IN
OUR EVALUATION AND OUR CQI TO
SAY NOT HOW DO WE END THIS BUT
UNDERSTAND WHAT WE'RE DOING
BETTER AND IMPROVE.
COLLABORATION WHERE WE CROSS
DISCIPLINES, CROSS SILOS, CROSS
INSTITUTIONS AND WE PARTNER, BE
IT PUBLIC AND PRIVATE, BE IT
HBCU AND PUT WHITE INSTITUTION,
WE START CROSSING BOUNDARIES.
WHEN WE GET CREATIVE, AND DON'T
KEEP DOING WHAT WE'VE ALWAYS
DONE, BUT LOOK AT WHERE WE ARE
IN TIME.
UNDERSTANDING OUR PAST BUT WHAT
ARE THE CHALLENGES OF TODAY?
WHEN WE COMMUNICATE DIFFERENT
WAYS, YOUTH OF TODAY ARE NOT
LOOKING AT BULLETIN BOARDS,
NEWSPAPERS AND FLYERS, HOW DO WE
COMMUNICATE WITH THEM?
WHEN WE TAKE INTO CONSIDERATION
THAT DIVERSITY IS NOT JUST ABOUT
BLACK AND WHITE.
BUT THERE'S MULTIPLE FORMS OF
DIVERSITY.
AND INTERSECTIONALITY THAT WE
ALL HAVE MULTIPLE IDENTITIES AND
COMMITMENT FROM THE TOP DOWN AND
ACROSS AN ORGANIZATION.
WHEN I LOOK AT HARVARD MEDICAL
SCHOOL, THIS DIVERSITY AND
INCLUSION IS EMBEDDED IN THE
MISSION STATEMENT OF THE SCHOOL,
NURTURE A DIVERSE INCLUSIVE
COMMUNITY DEDICATED TO
ALLEVIATING SUFFERING AND
IMPROVING HEALTH AND WELL-BEING
FOR ALL, EMBEDDED IN COMMUNITY
VALUES TALKING ABOUT DIVERSITY
AND RESPECT, VALUING AND
RESPECTING ALL PERSPECTIVES,
EXPERIENCES, POTENTIAL TO
CONTRIBUTE, SEEK AND PROMOTE
EQUITY AND SOCIAL JUSTICE.
IT'S IN OUR DIVERSITY STATEMENT
AND DIVERSITY POLICY THAT ARE
BUILT ON THIS FOUNDATION THAT
SAYS IT IS THIS SET OF DIVERSE
PERSPECTIVES AND TALENTS THAT
ACTUALLY THE FOUNDATION OF OUR
EXCELLENCE, IT IS WHAT MAKES US
BETTER, IT IS WHAT MAKES US
GREAT.
THE PROGRAMS ACROSS FROM K-12 TO
FACULTY AND LEADERSHIP
DEVELOPMENT, MULTIPLE POINTS,
ENTRY, EXIT, REENTRY, DON'T
THINK OF THIS AS MUCH AS A
PIPELINE WHERE SOMEONE ENTERS,
FALL THROUGH AND THEY ARE GONE
FOREVER.
WE'RE TALKING ABOUT PEOPLE.
WE'RE TALKING ABOUT PEOPLE WHO
CAN TAKE A DIFFERENT COURSE,
DEPENDING ON THEIR INTERESTS,
OPPORTUNITY.
SO TO THINK ABOUT SOME OF THESE
PROGRAMS, I'LL GIVE YOU
EXAMPLES.
K-12, AFTER-SCHOOL PROGRAMS,
BOSTON 11th, AND 12th
GREATER, API BIOLOGY, PART OF
THEM COME TO THE HARVARD MEDICAL
SCHOOL, DURING COVID IT'S BEEN
VIRTUAL, DO LABS WHERE THEY NEED
MORE SUPPORT, SUPPORT IN
TUTORIAL, IN TEST TAKING, ET
CETERA, WITH THE SCHOOLS.
SCHOOLS WHERE STUDENTS HAVE NOT
PASSED AP BIOLOGY, NOW PASSING
AP BIOLOGY.
LONGSTANDING SUMMER RESEARCH
PROGRAMS FOR HIGH SCHOOL
STUDENTS, I'M HAPPY TO SAY SOME
HAVE NOW MATRICULATED AT HARVARD
MEDICAL SCHOOL.
PROGRAMS INVOLVING MIDDLE SCHOOL
STUDENTS WITH COMMUNITY ADVISORY
BOARDS.
PROGRAMS FOR MEDICAL STUDENTS,
VISITING LECTURE PROGRAM, OVER
TIME HAS HAD MORE THAN 1600
STUDENTS COME THROUGH.
THE EXCHANGE COURTSHIP PROGRAM
SHARED BY MEDICAL SCHOOLS ACROSS
THE COUNTRY, 11% RETURNED FOR
RESIDENCY SOME RETURNED FOR
FELLOWSHIP, MANY ARE NOW ON
FACULTY.
RESIDENCY SHOWCASE, TRAINING
PROGRAMS AND RESIDENTS TOGETHER,
AND RESIDENCY DIRECTORS
TOGETHER, WITH STUDENTS.
DURING COVID WE'VE HAD OVER 800
STUDENTS PARTICIPATE IN PARTS OF
THE SHOWCASES, IN PERSON MORE
LIKE 400 STUDENTS.
ANOTHER PROGRAM FOR MEDICAL
STUDENTS, VISITING STUDENTS,
CLERKSHIP PROGRAM, BRICK
PROGRAM, THIRD AND FOURTH YEAR,
AND THEN FIRST AND SECOND YEAR,
MULTIPLE POINTS FOR ENTRY AND
EXIT, TO GIVE COMPOSURE FROM
RESEARCH, MAJORITY FEMALE,
UNDERREPRESENTATIVE MEDICAL
SCHOOL, A THIRD ATTENDING HBCU,
HSIs, COME BACK TO VISITING
CLERKSHIP PROGRAMS, 59 COMPLETED
MEDICAL SCHOOL, 52 IN RESIDENCY,
SOME AT HARVARD, SOME ALSO NOW
IN FELLOWSHIPS, ALSO AT HARVARD
MEDICAL SCHOOL AFFILIATED
HOSPITALS, BUT IMPORTANCE OF
TRACKING, LOOKING OVER TIME,
WHAT HAPPENS WITH OUR STUDENTS
AND OUR PROGRAMS.
TEN ALUMNI FROM THIS PROGRAM ARE
NOW THE A ACADEMIC INSTITUTIONS
AS FACULTY MEMBERS.
ONE INSTRUCTOR, ONE CLINICAL
ASSISTANT PROFESSOR, SEVEN
ASSISTANT PROFESSORS.
THERE ARE ADMINISTRATIVE
POSITIONS AT ACADEMIC
INSTITUTIONS, CO-DIRECTORS OF
HEALTH EQUITY, LEADING DIVERSITY
PROGRAMS, AND HAVE OVER 200
PUBLICATIONS.
THE FELLOWSHIP PROGRAM, JOSEPH
HENRY FELLOWS, FACULTY FELLOWS.
FACULTY FELLOWSHIP PROGRAM,
FELLOWSHIP PROGRAM WHERE WE
PARTNER, ACROSS OUR
INSTITUTIONS, AGAIN
COLLABORATION IN MEDICAL SCHOOL
WITH OUR AFFILIATED HOSPITALS,
IDENTIFYING EARLY CAREER
FACULTY, MOSTLY INSTRUCTORS,
PROVIDING FINANCIAL SUPPORT,
ALSO PROVIDED WITH MENTORING AND
WITH BOTH ACKNOWLEDGMENT
RECOGNITION AND SUPPORT FROM THE
LEADERSHIP OF THEIR DEPARTMENTS
AND HOME INSTITUTION.
YOU SEE FELLOWS FROM 2003 TO
2020, 51 FELLOWS CAME THROUGH
THE PROGRAM.
48 ALUMS, THREE CURRENTLY, 14
LEFT HARVARD, OF THOSE 37, 34
ALUMS, 82% OF THOSE ALUMS HAVE
BEEN PROMOTED, NOW FULL
PROFESSORS, ASSOCIATE
PROFESSORS, CHAIRS, AND CHIEFS
WITHIN THE MEDICAL SCHOOL.
FOLLOWING LONG-TERM, EARLY
CAREER INVESTMENT, IMPORTANCE OF
MENTORING, IMPORTANCE OF
BUILDING COMMUNITY ACROSS
INDIVIDUALS.
ANOTHER FELLOWSHIP PROGRAM IS
COMMONWEALTH FUND FELLOWSHIP
PROGRAM, ONE YEAR PROGRAM
LEADING TO MASTER OF PUBLIC
HEALTH AT OUR HARVARD T H CHAN
SCHOOL OF PUBLIC HEALTH OR
KENNEDY SCHOOL OF GOVERNMENT AS
WELL AS PROGRAM FOR DENTISTS.
YOU SEE HERE OUTCOMES FROM THIS
PROGRAM IN TERMS OF INDIVIDUALS
RECEIVING HONORS, AWARDS,
SERVING ON ADVISORY COMMITTEES,
BOARDS, 94%.
100% REMAINED ENGAGED IN HEALTH
POLICY RESEARCH, DELIVERY,
INVOLVING MINORITY, VULNERABLE
POPULATIONS.
80% HAVE ACADEMIC APPOINTMENTS
IN MEDICAL SCHOOLS OR SCHOOLS OF
PUBLIC HEALTH.
AND THEY CONTINUE TO MOVE INTO
LEADERSHIP POSITIONS FROM BEING
THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF BOSTON
PUBLIC HEALTH COMMISSION, PAST
COMMISSIONER, DEPARTMENT OF
PUBLIC HEALTH FOR MASSACHUSETTS,
DEPARTMENT CHAIR, VICE
PRESIDENTS FOR HEALTH EQUITY AT
MASS GENERAL, TO ASSISTANT
SECRETARY, DEPUTY ASSISTANT
SECRETARY OF HEALTH, HEAD OF
PCORI, LEADERSHIP POSITIONS,
DEEP COMMITMENT TO SERVING
VULNERABLE AND MINORATIZED
PUBLICATIONS.
BSCP, STUDENTS FROM HIGH SCHOOL
THROUGH POSTDOC LEVELS, EARLY
CAREER PROFESSIONALS, OVER
15,000 SERVED SINCE INCEPTION.
OVER 1500 VOLUNTEERS, SERVING 38
STATES, MORE THAN 250 ACADEMIC
INSTITUTIONS ACROSS THE COUNTRY,
WAYS TO COLLABORATE INVOLVING
ACADEMY, NOT JUST OUR MEDICAL
SCHOOLS AND DENTAL AND
PROFESSIONAL SCHOOLS BUT
COMMUNITY COLLEGES AND OTHERS,
INVOLVING INDUSTRY, BIOTECH,
PHARMA, INVOLVING PROFESSIONAL
ASSOCIATIONS AND OUR COMMUNITY
ORGANIZATIONS, COMING TOGETHER
AND IDENTIFYING STUDENTS,
NURTURING STUDENTS AND PROVIDING
ADVICE, SCHOLARSHIPS, FOR THESE
STUDENTS.
NEW ENGLAND SCIENCE SYMPOSIUM
FOR STUDENTS TO PRESENT THEIR
RESEARCH, THAT WAS ESTABLISHED
IN 2002.
YOU SEE THE MAJORITY OF CLOSE TO
10,000 STUDENTS PARTICIPATED IN
THIS PROGRAM, MOST OF THEM
FEMALE.
LARGE PERCENTAGE BLACK,
HISPANIC.
MULTIPLE ACADEMIC LEVELS.
OVER 900 AT THE LEVEL OF
POSTDOC.
OPPORTUNITY AGAIN TO BUILT
COMMUNITY, TO RECOGNIZE
EXCELLENCE, TO SHOWCASE THE
TALENT THAT'S THERE, BUT ALSO TO
DECREASE ISOLATION.
FOR MANY IT'S TIME FOR THEM TO
COME TOGETHER AND SEE SOMEONE
WHO LOOKS LIKE THEM, WHO HAS
INTEREST SIMILAR TO THEIRS.
AS WE THINK ABOUT COVID AND
THESE ARE TWO FEMALES THAT CAME
IN SINCE JANUARY, SINCE THE
HOLIDAYS, PARTICIPANTS IN THESE
PROGRAMS, AND I THINK THEY POINT
TO THE IMPORTANCE OF BUILDING
COMMUNITY AND SAFE SPACE, THE
IMPORTANCE OF BUILDING NETWORKS
OF SUPPORT.
HERE IS SOMEONE WHO IS A THIRD
YEAR MEDICAL RESIDENT, DURING
COVID, AND WAS WRITING HIS
PERSONAL STATEMENT FOR
CARDIOVASCULAR FELLOWSHIP AND
SAID I THOUGHT OF THE MOMENT I
DECIDED TO BE A PHYSICIAN, AS A
MATTER OF FACT I REMEMBER THE
EXACT MOMENT, IT HAS TO DO WITH
THE BSCP, ATTENDEE AS A SENIOR
IN HIGH SCHOOL, SUCH AN
INSPIRING EXPERIENCE AND CALLING
FOR THIS PERSON.
WITH THE FEMALE, HE SENT A COPY
OF THE PAMPHLET WITH HIS IMAGE
FROM 2004 HE SAVED AND CARRIED
WITH HIM, HE SAID TO REMIND HIM
WHEN THE GOING GETS TOUGH.
AND ANOTHER PERSON PARTICIPATED
IN NEW ENGLAND SCIENCE SYMPOSIUM
AND BSCP, DURING COVID MOVED IN
PERSON TO VIRTUAL.
I WAS MORE THAN DELIGHTED TO
HAVE A MOMENT TO SHARE AND HEAR
RESEARCH OUTSIDE MY UNIVERSITY.
I WISH I HAD MORE ACCESS TO
MENTORSHIP, I HAD MORE FEEDBACK
IN THOSE FEW MINUTES THAN IN
YEARS IN TERMS OF MY RESEARCH,
THE FIRST TIME I FELT SOMEONE
KNEW WHAT I WAS TALKING ABOUT.
SEEING EVERYONE WHO PRESENTED
MADE ME REALIZE I'VE DONE A
GREAT JOB WORKING ON MY OWN AND
POLISH MOVING UP.
PROGRAMS ARE IMPORTANT.
WHERE DO THEY FIT IN HARVARD
MEDICAL SCHOOL AND SEE OUR WAY
FORWARD, WHEN OUR DEAN CAME ON
PUT HE PUT TOGETHER A TASK FORCE
TO LOOK AT ISSUES OF DIVERSITY
AND INCLUSION ACROSS HAR
HARVARD MEDICAL SCHOOL.
OUT OF THE TASK FORCE CAME A
BETTER TOGETHER PLAN THAT HAS
FOUR BUCKETS, ONE AROUND
ADDRESSERRING CULTURE AND
COMMUNICATION, SECOND AROUND
VILLAGE PEOPLE AND
INFRASTRUCTURE.
THIRD ABOUT GENERATING
KNOWLEDGE, PRODUCING EVIDENCE
BUT ALSO HOLDING OURSELVES
ACCOUNTABLE.
AND FOURTH, BUILDING COMMUNITY.
SOME OF THE ACTIONS THAT HAVE
BEEN TAKEN DURING THIS TIME WE
THINK ABOUT BUILDING OF
COMMUNITY AND OUR CULTURE,
IMAGES AND NAMING AND PORTRAIT
HANGING, RENAMING TO A SOCIETY,
PORTRAITS AND BUSTS THAT
REPRESENT STUDENTS THAT WE HAVE
TODAY AND COMMUNITY WE SERVE.
AWARDS AND RECOGNITIONS, WE HAD
A DIVERSITY AWARD, BUT NEW ONE
AROUND EQUITY AND SOCIAL
JUSTICE.
THERE ARE TASK FORCES AND WORK
BEING PUT FORWARD AROUND
ANTI-RACISM AND COLLABORATIONS,
DEVELOPING CURRICULA AND
TRAINING, TO ADDRESS ISSUES OF
RACISM AND BIAS.
IN TERMS OF INFRASTRUCTURE IN
SUPPORTING INDIVIDUALS, MEDICAL
SCHOOL COMPLETE THE A FIRST
CLUSTER HIRE, VERY SUCCESSFUL.
THE GOAL WAS TO RECRUIT FOUR
INDIVIDUALS, SIX HAVE BEEN
BROUGHT ON BOARD, A SEVENTH MAY
BE COMING.
THERE ARE -- I TALKED ABOUT
FACULTY FELLOWSHIP, THEY HAVE
BEEN EXPANDED.
NOW INCREASED IN NUMBERS.
OUR FACULTY PROMOTION POLICIES
HAVE BEEN MODIFIED TO TAKE INTO
CONSIDERATION WORKING IN THE
SPACE OF D.E.I., ADVANCING,
HAVING IMPACT TO EQUITY AND
SOCIAL JUSTICE, COUNTING TOWARDS
PROMOTION AT HARVARD MEDICAL
SCHOOL.
IN TERMS OF BUILDING SENSE OF
BELONGING, AFFINITY GROUPS,
POSTDOC ASSOCIATION, BLACK STAFF
CAUCUS.
DIALOGUES, SAFE SPACES TO HAVE
CONVERSATIONS, WE MUST BE
RESPECTFUL, TO TALK ABOUT THINGS
CONTROVERSIAL.
THERE ARE CELEBRATIONS SUCH AS
JUNETEENTH CELEBRATION, WAYS IN
WHICH WE WORK WITH COMMUNITY AND
OUR SURROUNDING COMMUNITY IN
THOSE CELEBRATIONS.
AND PROGRAMS AND GROUPS THAT
BRING TOGETHER THE MULTIPLE
DIVERSITY OFFICES FROM ACROSS
OUR HMS ECOSYSTEM.
THERE'S WAYS IN WHICH WE HOLD
OURSELVES ACCOUNTABLE BY
COMMITTEES FORMED TO HELP WITH
POLICIES IN THE CLINICAL SPACE,
AS WELL AS BASIC SCIENCE AND
SOCIAL SCIENCE.
THERE'S CLIMATE SURVEYS.
THERE'S DEPARTMENT CHAIR
SURVEYS.
GATHERING THE DATA, WHERE WE
ARE, BASELINE.
SEARCH PORTALS TO HELP US IN
RECRUITMENT AND SEARCH PROCESS
AND DASHBOARDS PUT IN PLACE.
SO QUESTION, CAN WE BE
ANTI-RACIST AND NOT
INTENTIONALLY ADDRESS THE
RESIDUAL SYSTEMIC MANIFESTATIONS
OF A HISTORY BASED ON DELIBERATE
EXCLUSION, NOT HOLDING EQUAL THE
VALUE OF ALL HUMANS?
CAN WE FULFILL OUR PROFESSIONAL
VALUES, ENABLING US TO ADDRESS
COMPLEX ISSUES, ENSURING OUR
CAPACITY TO REMAIN VIABLE IN
TIMES OF DEMOGRAPHIC CHANGE?
THE PAST, WE SHOULD BE ASKING
WHO AND WHAT WERE SERVED BY
EXCLUSION.
IN THE PRESENT, WHAT SOCIAL,
POLITICAL AND POWER CONCEPTS
MIGHT BE DISRUPTED BY INCLUSION
AS WE TRY TO UNDERSTAND WHAT'S
GOING ON IN THE WORLD AROUND US.
IN THE FUTURE, WHAT ARE THE
RISKS TO SCIENCE, TO MEDICINE,
HEALTH OF POPULATIONS IF WE
CONTINUE TO EXCLUDE?
AND AT ALL TIMES ASK WHO IS AND
WHO IS NOT AT THE TABLE.
WHAT CAN WE DO IF AS
INDIVIDUALS?
PUT IN EFFORT, TIME TO BECOME
KNOWLEDGEABLE.
TAKE TIME FOR SELF-REFLECTION
AND UNDERSTAND WHERE WE ARE IN
THIS SPACE.
ADOPT THIS QUALITY IMPROVEMENT
STANCE WE ARE NOT ALWAYS GOING
TO GET IT RIGHT BUT MOVING IN
THE DIRECTION TO EQUITY, SOCIAL
JUSTICE, DISMANTLING.
AT ALL TIMES COLLECT, ANALYZE,
MONITOR TODAY, WE SHOULD BE
ASSESS WHAT WE'RE DOING AND HOW
WE CAN IMPROVEMENT EXAMINE POWER
IMBALANCE, EXAMINE AND
ACKNOWLEDGE THE POWER IMBALANCE
THAT EXISTS, DO SOMETHING ABOUT
IT.
AND QUESTION WHAT WE THINK WE
BELIEVE.
WHERE IS THE EVIDENCE?
WHAT'S THERE TOO LEARN FROM
OTHERS?
DEMONSTRATE REAL SUPPORT,
PUTTING IN WRITING IS NICE BUT
ACTIVELY DOING SOMETHING MAKES A
DIFFERENCE, CONSTRUCTIVELY
ADVOCATE.
AND BUILD OUR OWN DIVERSE
INCLUSIVE NETWORKS.
WORDS DO MATTER.
IMAGES AND SYMBOLS DO MATTER.
RECOGNIZE POTENTIAL, HAVE THE
GROWTH MINDSET ABOUT ABILITY.
BE AN ACTIVE PARTICIPANT IN
GROWING THE TALENT OF TODAY THAT
WILL BE SCIENTISTS AND LEADERS
OF TOMORROW.
EXPERIENCE THAT BUILDS
CONFIDENCE, PROVIDES FEEDBACK.
PROVIDE REAL SUPPORT, TIME,
FUNDS, TRAINING, MENTOR.
ADVISE, COACH, SPONSOR.
WE'RE IN THIS WONDERFUL TIME FOR
TRANSFORMATION.
A TIME WHEN WE TALK ABOUT MANY
BEING AWAKE FOR THE FIRST TIME.
AND WE SHOULD NOT WASTE THIS
WONDERFUL OPPORTUNITY.
WE NEED TO BE INFORMED BY OUR
VALUES, PERSONAL VALUES,
PROFESSIONAL VALUES,
ORGANIZATIONAL VALUES.
GUIDED BY A VISION, A VISION
BASED ON EQUITY AND JUSTICE AND
THAT CHANGE CAN OCCUR AND WE CAN
CONTINUE TO MARCH FORWARD.
BUT SECURED BY VIGILANCE, CLEAR
UNDERSTANDING THAT THERE WILL BE
PUSHBACK.
AND THAT WE CANNOT LOSE SIGHT OF
WHERE WE ARE HEADED.
MY GRANDMOTHER USED TO SAY THE
FORWARDER I GO, THE BEHINDER I
GET.
WE MUST BE MAINTAINED BY OUR
VOICE.
IT'S NOT WAITING FOR THE BLACK
OR THE GAY OR THE WHATEVER
PERSON THAT'S IN THE MARGINS TO
BE IN THE ROOM TO SAY, CAN THEY
SPEAK UP.
WE ALL SHOULD HAVE A VOICE WHEN
WE SEE SOMETHING EGREGIOUS, WE
SHOULD ALL HAVE A VOICE WHEN
ACTIONS OR WORDS ARE NOT
CONSISTENT WITH THE VALUES THAT
WE ESPOUSE.
ALL OF US NEED TO SPEAK UP.
WE ALL MUST BECOME ALLIES.
WE NEED TO BE STRENGTHENED BY
OUR VICTORIES.
BIG OR SMALL.
THEY ARE STEPS FORWARD.
THANK YOU.
>> THANK YOU SO MUCH, JOAN, FOR
A WONDERFUL TOUR OF BOTH YOUR
WORK AND PRINCIPLES AND ISSUES.
I ASSUME WE'LL HAVE SOME
QUESTIONS COMING BUT LET ME ASK
ONE FIRST.
AND I SEE THE CHAT SO I'LL BE
ABLE TO DO THIS.
YOU'VE PROJECTED A SENSE OF
OPTIMISM BASED ON THE
TUMULTUOUS EVENTS OF 2020 WHICH
I TEND TO SHARE, CLEARLY.
SINCE 2020 THERE'S BEEN A
COUNTER-NARRATIVE THAT'S SORT OF
TAKEN HOLD AMONGST A SUBSTANTIAL
PORTION OF THE POPULATION, OFTEN
NOT IN THE CIRCLES THAT YOU AND
I ARE CLOSEST TO IN TERMS OF
EITHER NIH OR HARVARD MEDICAL
SCHOOL OR ANY OF OUR ACADEMIC
CENTERS.
I THOUGHT YOU WOULD COMMENT ON
THAT.
RELATED TO THAT, THERE ARE THESE
VERY SUBSTANTIAL LEGAL
LIMITATIONS THAT HAVE BEEN
IMPOSED BY THE COURTS IN THE
PAST.
AND THAT MAY ACTUALLY GET HARDER
IN THE NEXT YEAR OR TWO, AS
THESE ISSUES ARE REDISCUSSED,
CONTINUOUSLY HAVE A POTENTIAL TO
HINDER PROGRESS.
IN THE FACE OF 50% OF CHILDREN,
WHICH IS I THINK REMINDER, WHY
ARE WE TALKING ABOUT THIS, SO
...
>> WELL, ELISEO, IT'S
INTERESTING YOU TALK ABOUT
COUNTER-NARRATIVE, IT HAS ALWAYS
BEEN YOU.
IT IS NOT NEW.
IT'S, FOR ME, AS WE GO THROUGH
THESE TIMES, PEOPLE SAY, JOAN,
DID YOU KNOW THAT RACISM EXISTS?
YEAH, I GOT STOPPED BY THE
POLICE LAST WEEK FOR DOING
NOTHING, ARE YOU SERIOUS?
THIS IS MY WORLD.
BUT IT'S ALWAYS BEEN HERE.
BUT WE'VE ALWAYS MARCHED
FORWARD.
AND SO THAT'S WHAT KEEPS ME
GOING.
I THINK ABOUT MY GROWING UP AS A
CHILD, VISITING MY GRANDMOTHER
IN FLORIDA.
SHE LIVED ON THE STREET PAVED
WITH CRUSHED SHELLS.
THERE WAS A RAILROAD TRACK.
THE OTHER SIDE OF THE ROAD WAS
PAVED.
HER SIDE OF THE STREET WAS
BLACK, THE OTHER SIDE OF THE
RAILROAD TRACK WAS WHITE.
AND USED TO WALK DOWN THE
RAILROAD TRACK BEHIND HER, A
TALL AMAZING WONDERFUL BLACK
WOMAN, I WOULD WALK BEHIND HER,
SO PROUD.
AND WE WALKED DOWNTOWN TO PLACES
WE COULD NOT GO THROUGH THE
FRONT DOOR.
WALKED TO PLACES WE COULD NOT
SIT AT A COUNTER.
WE'VE WALKED TO AND THROUGH
PLACES WHERE WE WERE NOT WANTED.
THAT IS DIFFERENT.
IT HAS CHANGED.
I HAVE WITNESSED IN MY LIFETIME
CHANGES.
I USED TO GO THERE TO GO TO
SUMMER SCHOOL, BECAUSE THEY HAD
A MUCH BETTER SUMMER SCHOOL THAN
THE BLACK NEIGHBORHOOD IN
FLORIDA THAN I EVEN HAD IN
MASSACHUSETTS, BECAUSE EDUCATION
WAS EVERYTHING TO THAT
COMMUNITY.
SO WE MARCHED FORWARD.
I LOOK AT THE ADVANCES THAT I
SEE, SAY, POST 2020, AND MY
THOUGHTS ARE HOW DO WE TAKE THIS
OPPORTUNITY TO EXAMINE THOSE
PARTS OF OUR SYSTEM THAT HAVE
THIS EMBEDDED ISMS, HOW DO WE
PUT IN PLACE POLICIES AND
PRACTICES TO ALLOW US TO MOVE
FORWARD WHEN OUR ATTENTION IS
DRAWN SOMEWHERE ELSE, WE'RE A
COUNTRY WHERE OUR ATTENTION
SWITCHES QUICKLY.
FOR ME TO TAKE THIS OPPORTUNITY
TO PUT IN PLACE THINGS THAT WILL
BE FAR -- THAT WILL BE LASTING
AND MOVE FORWARD, I THINK ABOUT
YOUR INSTITUTE AND THE SETTING
OF THE STAGE SO THAT THIS
INSTITUTE WOULD EXIST AND MOVE
FORWARD.
THERE ARE PEOPLE WHO THOUGHT
ABOUT THIS.
SO I THINK WE HAVE TO DO THE
SAME.
THE LEGAL CHALLENGES, I MEAN, I
GAVE YOU SOME EXAMPLES.
I GAVE YOU EXAMPLES OF PLESSY,
BROWN VERSUS BOARD OF EDUCATION,
CIVIL RIGHTS ACT OF 1875 THE
SUPREME COURT STRUCK DOWN, WE
COME BACK IN 1964.
AS WE START TO UNDERSTAND OUR
HISTORY, WE START TO UNDERSTAND
WE GO FORWARD, WE GO BACK.
THE ISSUE IS HOW TO MAKE SURE WE
GO FORWARD, I GO MUCH MORE
FORWARD THAN I GO BACK IN THIS.
WE'LL MEET CHALLENGES AS WE GO
FORWARD BECAUSE I BELIEVE THAT
WHAT WE ARE WORKING TOWARDS IS
GOOD FOR OUR PATIENTS, GOOD FOR
OUR COMMUNITY, GOOD FOR OUR
COUNTRY.
SO I'M NOT DISHEARTENED BY IT.
I'M ALSO NOT NAIVE.
I AM AN OPTIMIST.
A GLASS HALF FULL PERSON.
BUT I'M A REALIST AT THE SAME
TIME.
>> THANK YOU FOR YOUR COMMENTS
AND YOUR THOUGHTS ON THESE
ISSUES THAT HAVE NO
STRAIGHTFORWARD SIMPLE ANSWER.
HERE'S A QUESTION FROM THE
AUDIENCE.
GIVEN THE FACT THAT SOME
MINORITIES COME FROM LOW SES,
STRIVING TO LIVE A BETTER LIFE,
ZERO LIFE WORK BALANCE IN
ACADEMIA, NO SOCIAL LIFE, WHICH
IS IMPORTANT TO THIS GROUP, WHY
SHOULD PEOPLE FROM MINORITY
GROUPS BE SEEKING JOBS IN
ACADEMIA INSTEAD OF INDUSTRY?
INDUSTRY PROVIDES OPPORTUNITIES,
MINORITIES STILL CAN PROVIDE
VALUE TO THEIR COMMUNITIES.
AND GET PAID BETTER.
ALSO WHAT MEASURES ARE WE TAKING
TO SUPPORT THE SALARY OF
ACADEMICS?
>> WELL, VERY BROAD.
I'M GOING TO SAY A FEW THINGS.
ONE IS, WE NEED DIVERSITY
EVERYWHERE.
SO AS I'M TALKING ABOUT THESE
STUDENTS, I WANT THEM IN
ACADEMIA, IN INDUSTRY, I WANT
THEM IN GOVERNMENT.
I WANT THEM IN ALL OF THESE
SPACES.
I DON'T HAVE A PRECONCEIVED
NOTION THAT ONE IS BETTER THAN
THE OTHER.
I THINK THE ACADEMY IS IMPORTANT
BECAUSE THE ACADEMY PREPARES
THE NEXT GENERATION, WE NEED TO
BE PLENTY.
ARE THERE STRUGGLES IN THE
ACADEMY?
YES.
BUT AT THE SAME TIME, WHEN YOU
ARE IN THE ACADEMY, YOU CAN
CHANGE HOW IT PRACTICES, AND
WHAT IT DOES.
YOU CAN MOVE IT SO THESE ARE IN
THE MISSION, THEY ARE IN THE
VALUES, YOU CAN CHANGE THE
PROMOTION POLICIES, CHANGE
AWARDS, WHAT GETS RECOGNIZED,
YOU CAN BUILD SYSTEMS THAT CAN
SUPPORT INDIVIDUALS BY BUYING
THEIR TIME AND OTHER KINDS OF
THINGS.
YOU CAN ACT IN THAT SPACE.
SO ELISEO, I'LL GIVE AN EXAMPLE
HOW I DESCRIBE -- TRY TO
DESCRIBE THIS TO MY FELLOWS AND
STUDENTS I WORK WITH.
IT'S AN EXAMPLE FROM MY OWN
PHILOSOPHY.
AT ONE POINT I WAS WORKING IN A
CLINIC, AND I HAD A COLLEAGUE
WHO REALLY WAS CONDESCENDING AND
KIND OF OBNOXIOUS AND IGNORED
HIM A LOT.
AND WE'RE IN -- WE WERE IN THE
FACULTY ROOM, A COLLEAGUE OF
MINE, AND OUR BOSS.
AND HE SAID SOMETHING TO ME.
SORT OF LOOKED UP.
OUR BOSS LOOKED AT HIM AND SAID,
YOU DO KNOW THAT JOAN IS
PROBABLY ONE DAY GOING TO BE THE
BOSS OF BOTH OF US?
AND MY RESPONSE WAS, YES, AND
YOU SHOULD UNDERSTAND WHEN THAT
DAY COMES I WILL FIRE YOU.
AND THE WORDS, WE DO NOT HAVE TO
ACCEPT THE WAY THINGS ARE.
WE CAN MOVE FORWARD AND ADVANCE
AND CHANGE THE POLICIES AND THE
PRACTICES.
THEY DO NOT HAVE -- THAT'S PART
OF WHY WE'RE NEEDED TO MAKE SURE
THERE'S A SPACE FOR ME, A SINGLE
MOTHER, AS I WAS RAISING MY
DAUGHTER.
TO MAKE A SPACE FOR SOMEONE LIKE
ME, A BLACK WOMAN, A
PEDIATRICIAN, TO CREATE CHANGE
IN THOSE ENVIRONMENTS, THAT'S
WHY WE ARE NEEDED IN THOSE
SPACES, TO BRING EQUITY AND
JUSTICE THERE.
ACADEMIA IS NEVER GOING TO PAY
WHAT INDUSTRY PAYS.
I DON'T THINK YOU STAY IN THE
ACADEMY.
I'M TRAINED IN PEDIATRICS, CHILD
PSYCHIATRY, PUBLIC HEALTH.
I CAN'T GO LOWER ON THE PAY
SCALE.
EVERYTHING BRINGS ME TO THE
BOTTOM OF THE PAY SCALE, WHAT
I'VE CHOSEN.
I LOVE WHAT I DO.
I ABSOLUTELY LOVE WHAT I DO.
FOR ME, THAT BRINGS ME JOY.
I'M HAPPY IN THAT SPACE.
I DO NOT KNOW THE ACADEMY IS
EVER GOING TO COMPETE WITH
BIOTECH OR PHARMA IN THE SALARY.
IT SHOULD GIVE A SALARY THAT
ALLOWS INDIVIDUALS TO BE
COMFORTABLE, SHOULD GIVE A
SALARY THAT ALLOWS PEOPLE TO
BUILD WEALTH IN THEIR OWN WAY,
BE IT TO BUY A HOME OR TAKE CARE
OF THEIR CHILDREN OR FOR ME TO
TAKE CARE OF GRANDCHILDREN, ET
CETERA.
THE ACADEMY SHOULD DO THAT.
BUT I DON'T SEE THIS AS A
COMPETITION FOR MONEY.
I'M HERE BECAUSE I LOVE WHAT I
DO.
>> THANK YOU.
THAT'S VERY MEANINGFUL.
AND, YOU KNOW, I WOULD ADD THAT
YOU HAD TALKED ABOUT VALUES, THE
IMPORTANCE OF VALUES.
I THINK THAT WHEN ONE WEIGHS
OPTIONS OF WHERE ONE IS WORKING,
COMPENSATION IS THE MOST
IMPORTANT THING, THEN YOU'LL BE
PULLED IN ONE DIRECTION.
BUT THERE ARE MULTIPLE OTHER
THINGS THAT RELATE TO JOB
SATISFACTION.
I THINK THE PERCEPTION THAT IN
INDUSTRY THERE'S MORE WORK/LIFE
BALANCE MAY BE TRUE FOR SOME BUT
I'M NOT SURE THAT'S NECESSARILY
THE CASE.
DEPENDING ON THE KIND OF WORK
ONE DOES.
ANOTHER QUESTION, I'M WONDERING
IF DR. REEDE COULD GIVE DETAIL
ON HOW DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION
WORK CAN BE CONSIDERED IN TENURE
AND PROMOTION PROCESSES.
>> SO, FOR US, AS WE'VE MOVED
BECAUSE THIS WAS JUST PASSED IN
2021, WE'VE BEEN WORKING TOWARDS
THIS FOR A WHILE, SO I'LL GIVE
SOME EXAMPLES ABOUT HOW THIS CAN
START TO MATTER.
OUR OFFICE, WE HAVE EVERYTHING
FROM MENTORING AWARDS, TO
DIVERSITY AWARDS, TO COMMUNITY
AWARDS, COMMUNITY SERVICE,
AWARDS FOR EXEMPLARY SERVICE TO
THE INSTITUTION, ORGANIZATION,
ALL THESE COMMITTEES, DO ALL
THIS WORK, THAT ARE HELD UP AS
AWARDS THAT RECOGNIZE
INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE SUPPORTING
INSTITUTION AND ACHIEVING ITS
MISSION.
AND THOSE AWARDS ARE COUNTED,
THOSE AWARDS ARE ON PEOPLE'S
C.V.s, ARE TAKEN INTO
CONSIDERATION AND DISCUSSED AT
THE TIME OF PROMOTION.
THIS NEW CATEGORY AROUND -- NOT
DIVERSITY BUT IN TERMS OF EQUITY
AND SOCIAL JUSTICE CAME ABOUT AS
REAL DELIBERATIONS OF SAYING
THIS WORK ENABLES US TO ACHIEVE
OUR MISSION.
THIS WORK IS IMPORTANT TO OUR
ORGANIZATION.
IT'S IMPORTANT TO OUR PATIENTS
AND OUR COMMUNITY.
THIS WORK IS CONSISTENT WITH THE
VALUES THAT WE ESPOUSE AND
PEOPLE THAT DO THIS WORK SHOULD
GET CREDIT FOR IT.
OUR ACADEMIC INSTITUTIONS,
THERE'S DIFFERENT WAYS, SOMEBODY
MENTIONED SALARIES, THERE'S ALSO
TITLES, BUT THERE'S ALSO
PROMOTION AND ADVANCEMENT.
IT WAS DETERMINED THAT WE SHOULD
HAVE PROMOTION AND ADVANCEMENT
ON IT.
IT ALSO MEANS WE HAVE TO START
TO THINK ABOUT WHAT DOES IMPACT
IN THIS WORK MEAN.
DOES IT MEAN THAT I SAT ON ONE
COMMITTEE AND WENT TO TWO
MEETINGS?
NO.
WHAT HAVE YOU DONE, THE SAME WAY
WE'RE LOOKING AT IMPACT, LOOKING
AT SCHOLARSHIP, LOOKING AT OTHER
AREAS, CLINICAL CARE, IN
TEACHING, THIS AREA OF EQUITY
AND SOCIAL JUSTICE, WHAT IS THE
IMPACT?
SO, AS WE SPEAK, WE'RE LOOKING
AT HOW DO WE MODIFY OUR C.V.s,
SO THAT FACULTY CAN START TO ADD
THEIR CONTRIBUTIONS IN THIS
SPACE TO THE C.V., BECOME PART
OF THE HARVARD FORMAT, A PLACE
FOR INDICATING THIS.
AND THEN EDUCATING OUR PROMOTION
COMMITTEES AROUND HOW TO COUNT
IT.
TO THINK ABOUT IT.
THEN TRACKING.
ASSESSING DOES IT GET COUNTED
AND MOVE FORWARD, NOT BEEN IN
PLACE FOR MORE THAN A YEAR BUT
RECOGNIZING, HAVING AWARDS FOR
IT THAT ARE AT THE LEVEL OF THE
DEAN SCHOOL WIDE AWARDS, PART OF
THE FORMAL C.V. FOR THE SCHOOL,
HAVING A METRIC COUNTED IN
DELIBERATIONS OF THE COMMITTEE,
THOSE ARE SOME OF THE THINGS.
>> THANK YOU.
I THINK ULTIMATELY MANY ACADEMIC
HEALTH CENTERS ARE STILL GOING
TO FOCUS ON HOW MANY PAPERS
YOU'VE WRITTEN, WHAT'S THE
IMPACT, HOW MANY GRANTS DO YOU
HAVE.
THE BROADER PERSPECTIVES,
SCHOLARSHIP IS MORE THAN THAT,
AND I THINK ACCEPTING EXCELLENCE
AND LEADERSHIP IN DIMENSIONS OF
WHAT HEALTH CENTERS DO IS PART
OF THIS NARRATIVE.
CERTAINLY GETTING -- IT STARTS
WITH CREATING SOME CRITERIA,
IMPLEMENTATION AS WE KNOW IS
ALWAYS GOING TO BE AN ONGOING
CHALLENGE AS WE KNOW FROM
CLINICAL RESEARCH.
>> ELISEO, A PIECE OF THIS, YOU
KNOW, EVEN AS WE TALK ABOUT
SCHOLARSHIP AND IMPACT, IT SHOWS
UP IN MANY WAYS.
AS I THINK ABOUT MY FELLOWS,
WRITING SOMETHING THAT GETS
PASSED AS A LAW, STARTING A NEW
OFFICE FOR A STATE, MOVING
SOMETHING FORWARD, HAS A HUGE
IMPACT.
>> UH-HUH.
>> NOT EVERYTHING IS GOING TO
APPEAR IN PubMed.
THERE'S LOTS OF WAYS WE USE IT,
BECOME AS WE ARE, ALREADY
STARTING TO THINK ABOUT
PUBLICATIONS, BECOME MORE
CREATIVE.
IF WE START TO LOOK AT
PUBLICATIONS, THERE'S A LOT MORE
TO WHERE AND HOW AND WHY
SOMETHING DOES OR DOES NOT GET
PUBLISHED.
OR A GRANT IS OR IS NOT
RECEIVED.
SO I THINK SOME OF THE WORK OF
OUR ORGANIZATION, SOME WORK NIH
HAS DONE, ARE OTHERS ARE ALSO
DOING IS LOOKING AT THE
EVIDENCE, LOOKING AT WHAT ARE
THE FACTORS THAT DISADVANTAGE
SOME, WHY, AND HOW CAN WE MODIFY
WHERE IT'S APPROPRIATE,
POLICIES, PRACTICES, WAYS THAT
CAN LEVEL SOME OF THE PLAYING
FIELD.
>> MY QUESTION IS INFRASTRUCTURE
OF SUPPORT FOR HIGH SCHOOL
STUDENTS, FELLOWSHIPS, RESEARCH.
WHAT ARE KEY ELEMENTS OF THE
INFRASTRUCTURE FOR SOMEONE
INTERESTED IN BUILDING THIS
SUPPORT SYSTEM AND OPPORTUNITIES
AT ANOTHER UNIVERSITY?
>> SO, IT'S INTERESTING BECAUSE
I TOLD YOU, I CAME TO HARVARD
MEDICAL SCHOOL FROM BEING IN
COMMUNITY SETTING.
SO I WAS NOT PRIVY TO THE FACT
YOU WENT TO A DEAN OR SOMEONE
AND ASKED FOR FUNDS.
I CAME THROUGH HEALTH CENTERS,
THERE WAS NOBODY TO ASK FOR
MONEY.
ALL THE THINGS I BUILT, I BUILT
BY COLLABORATING WITH OTHERS.
COMING TOGETHER AND SORT OF
SAYING THIS IS WHAT WE WANT,
WHAT WE NEED, HOW CAN WE AS A
COMMUNITY, AS A GROUP, AS A
TEAM, WHATEVER YOU WANT TO CALL
IT, BRING OUR RESOURCES TOGETHER
IN A WAY TO BUILD SOMETHING NEW.
THAT'S HOW I STARTED THE PROGRAM
ALSO AT HARVARD MEDICAL SCHOOL.
AND WHAT THAT MEANT WAS THAT I
HAD THE INPUT AND WISDOM AND
INSIGHT, NOT JUST FROM THE KIND
OF THINGS I THOUGHT BUT THINKING
OF MULTIPLE PEOPLE AROUND THE
TABLE.
IT MEANT THAT THERE WAS SHARED
OWNERSHIP FOR WHAT GOT BUILT,
WHICH GIVES MORE LEGS FOR
LASTING.
ALSO MEANT THAT I WAS LOOKING IN
MULTIPLE PLACES FOR RESOURCES SO
I BEGAN MY PROGRAMS WITH A
PORTFOLIO THAT WAS VERY BROAD IN
TERMS OF HOW WE SOUGHT FUNDING,
THINK ABOUT DIVERSITY OFFICES,
SO SOME CAME FROM THE SCHOOL,
SOME CAME FROM GRANTS, SOME CAME
FROM INDUSTRY.
SOME CAME FROM GOVERNMENT.
FROM FOUNDATIONS, MULTIPLE
PLACES, DIVERSIFIED PORTFOLIO
FOR FUNDING.
AND THEN EVERY PROGRAM I'VE
ESTABLISHED AT HARVARD MEDICAL
SCHOOL I'VE DONE IN
COLLABORATION WITH OTHERS, NO
PROGRAMS BY MYSELF.
CRITICALLY IMPORTANT, DON'T GO
INTO THE BATTLE ALONE.
GO IN THERE WITH OTHER PEOPLE.
>> WELL, I'M GLAD THE OPTION OF
ASKING THE DEAN FOR FUNDS WAS
THERE AT HARVARD, EVEN THOUGH I
NEVER TOOK ADVANTAGE OF THAT AT
UCSF.
>> NO, NO, I SAID -- I DIDN'T
KNOW IT EXISTED.
[LAUGHTER]
>> OH, I KNOW.
BUT I'M SAYING AT LEAST
THEORETICALLY IT WAS THERE.
CERTAINLY THERE ARE THINGS THAT
YOU WERE DOING, OR I WAS DOING,
WERE DEPENDENT ON GENERATING
YOUR OWN RESOURCES.
BUT ANOTHER QUESTION, DR. REEDE,
THANK YOU FOR YOUR GREAT
PRESENTATION.
DR. REEDE TALKED ABOUT
CONSEQUENCES OF RACISM AND
MEDICINE, IGNORING THE FIRST DO
NO HARM NEGATIVE.
I LOST MY TRACK.
WHICH IS IMPORTANT -- STOP
SENDING ME QUESTIONS BECAUSE IT
CHANGES MY READING ABILITY HERE.
WHICH IS IMPORTANT HISTORY TO
KNOW.
THIS QUESTION, FOR ME, OH,
ANOTHER NIH LEADER, HAS ANYTHING
CONSIDERED THE HARM NIH MAY HAVE
MADE IN THE COMMUNITY WITHOUT
ACKNOWLEDGING THIS HISTORY IT'S
HARD TO MOVE FORWARD WITH
D.E.I.A INITIATIVES NIH IS
CURRENTLY PURSUING.
I ASSUME SOMEONE FROM NIH ASKED
THIS QUESTION.
I THINK SOME OF THE NIH FUNDING
WAS REFERRED TO BY JOAN, YOU
KNOW, TUSKEGEE STUDY WAS ONE
THAT WAS FUNDED BY NIH.
OBSERVATIONAL STUDY OF AFRICAN
AMERICAN MEN WITH SYPHILIS AND
JUST TO SEE WHAT WOULD HAPPEN,
AFTER THE DISCOVERY AND ACTUALLY
DISTRIBUTION OF PENICILLIN.
THEY CONTINUED TO BE OBSERVED.
THAT'S THE MOST INFAMOUS.
YOU ALLUDED TO I THINK I
REMEMBER HEARING ABOUT THE
PUERTO RICO EXPERIENCE WITH
STERILIZATION OF WOMEN, WHICH
WENT ON WITHOUT CONSENT.
YOU ALLUDED TO -- MAYBE NOT, BUT
THE ISSUES IN ARIZONA, WITH THE
PIMA INDIANS WHO WERE -- GOT
TRADED LANDS IN THE HILLS, HAD
THE WATER, IN ORDER TO GET
PHOENIX WATER, THEY SAID WE CAN
GET YOUR WATER, WE'LL GIVE YOU
ALL THE FOOD YOU NEED.
THE FOOD OF COURSE WAS
HYPER-CALORIC AND DENSE, AND
THESE POPULATIONS DEVELOPED 30,
40, 50% DEVELOPED TYPE 2
DIABETES.
AND THE NIH DID GREAT STUDIES,
PUBLISHED IN THE NEW ENGLAND
JOURNAL OF MEDICINE, OBSERVING
WHAT HAPPENED TO THIS NATIVE
PEOPLE.
SO I THINK MANY PEOPLE ARE NOT
AWARE OF ALL THE DETAILS.
I THINK WE ARE AWARE OF SOME OF
THIS.
THESE ARE IMPORTANT POINTS TO
ACKNOWLEDGE.
I THINK ACKNOWLEDGING HISTORY
DOESN'T MEAN ASCRIBING BLAME TO
PEOPLE WHO ARE LIVING THIS OR
LEADING US NOW.
AND I THINK FRANCIS COLLINS DID
SORT OF MAKE THE STATEMENT WHEN
HE MADE THE COMMITMENT, PUBLIC
COMMITMENT, OVER A YEAR AGO, TO
SAY WE'RE GOING TO ADDRESS
STRUCTURAL RACISM.
AFTER MANY MONTHS OF
DISCUSSIONS, ACKNOWLEDGING ON
HIS PART, THAT THIS WAS NOT
GOING TO BE EASY.
IT WAS NOT GOING TO BE A ONE-OFF
EFFORT.
IT'S GOING TO BE A CHANGE IN
CULTURE, THE WAY WE DO THINGS.
SO I'M ALSO AN OPTIMIST, SO I
THINK WE'VE PUT IN PLACE,
BEGINNING TO PUT IN PLACE A
PROCESS BY WHICH THIS CAN BE
ACHIEVED AND IT WILL BE
SOMETHING THAT HOPEFULLY WILL
IMPACT PEOPLE IN THE FUTURE.
I DON'T KNOW IF YOU WANT TO
COMMENT ON THAT, JOAN, OR NOT,
SINCE YOU KNOW THE NIH WELL.
>> I THINK THAT PART -- WE
SHOULD JUST -- ONE, JUST KNOW
OUR HISTORY.
AND ALL OF THE HISTORY IS NOT
BAD.
I TRIED TO POINT OUT SOME PARTS
OF HISTORY THAT WERE ACTUALLY
POSITIVE, THAT SHOW THIS
RESILIENCE, WAYS WE'VE SURVIVED
AND THRIVED DESPITE -- AND THOSE
STORIES NEED TO BE TOLD.
YOU KNOW, NIH OF TODAY IS NOT
THE NIH I STARTED WORKING WITH
30 YEARS AGO.
LOOKING ACROSS DIRECTORS AND
DEPUTY DIRECTORS AT NIH, IF I
LOOK ACROSS THE ADVISORY COUNCIL
AT NIH, THEY LOOK VERY
DIFFERENT.
IF I LOOK AT SCIENTIFIC
DIRECTORS THAT YOU HAVE NOW,
THIS IS, YOU KNOW, THIS IS ALL
NEW.
SO I THINK MOVING IN THE RIGHT
DIRECTION.
BUT REMEMBER I ALSO TALKED ABOUT
VIGILANCE.
SOMETIMES WE GET SOMEPLACE AND
SIT DOWN AND SAY WE'VE ARRIVED,
WE HAVE NOT ARRIVED.
THERE NEEDS TO BE MORE, WE NEED
TO PRESS FORWARD AND MONITOR SO
WE DON'T SLIDE BACK.
>> A COMMENT I'LL ASK TO SEND TO
YOU, SHARING THEIR PERSONAL
EXPERIENCE, GROWING UP IN A
SEGREGATED SOUTH.
ALSO PRAISING BOTH YOUR TALK AND
NIMHD.
I THINK THIS IS A REAL QUESTION.
DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION WORK
CONTINUE AND RESULT IN A DIVERSE
WORK FORCE, WHAT CAN BE DONE
ABOUT THE SCARCITY OF MENTORS
FROM SIMILAR BACKGROUNDS FROM
TRADITIONALLY UNDERREPRESENTED
GROUPS, AND UNDERREPRESENTED
BACKGROUNDS, OVERWHELMED WITH
MENTORSHIP COMMITMENTS LEAVING
JUNIOR FACULTY MEMBERS
STRUGGLING TO FIND THE RIGHT
MENTORS?
DR. REEDE?
>> AGREED.
A FEW THOUGHTS ON MENTORING.
THIS IS A WHOLE DISCUSSION BY
ITSELF.
ONE, I DON'T THINK ANYBODY
SHOULD EVER BE LOOKING FOR ONE
MENTOR.
YOU CAN LOOK FOR ONE PARTNER,
ONE SPOUSE.
BUT NOT ONE MENTOR.
[LAUGHTER]
I'M A TRUE BELIEVER, YOU NEED
MULTIPLE MENTORS, DIFFERENT
POINTS IN YOUR CAREER, AND FOR
DIFFERENT REASONS.
AND SO, PART OF ME WOULD START
IN A SPACE OF WHAT IS IT THAT
YOU WANT THE MENTOR FOR.
IS IT PSYCHOSOCIAL AND THOSE
OTHER PARTS?
FOR OUR CONTENT BECAUSE OF THE
SCIENCE OR WHATEVER YOU'RE
DOING, BUT DIFFERENT PEOPLE.
STARTING TO BE VERY CLEAR ABOUT
THAT, THERE ARE INDIVIDUALS WHO
SORT OF CROSS THE FULL SPECTRUM
IN TERMS OF GENDER, RACE,
ETHNICITY, THAT HAVE BEEN MY
MENTOR, THE MAIN THING IS THEY
HAVE BELIEVED IN ME NO MATTER
HOW WHACKED MY IDEA MIGHT HAVE
SYND OF -- MIGHT HAVE SEEMED TO
THEM.
ALL RIGHT, JOAN, WE'VE GOT YOUR
BACK.
IT WAS LOOKING FOR THOSE
INDIVIDUALS WHO WOULD SUPPORT ME
AND HELP GUIDE ME.
AND THEY COME IN ALL DIFFERENT
FLAVORS.
BUT THEY HELPED ME IN DIFFERENT
WAYS DEALING WITH DIFFERENT
TYPES OF THINGS.
WHY BEING A BLACK WOMAN IN THE
ACADEMY IS NOT I MIGHT TAKE TO A
WHITE MAN WHO DOESN'T UNDERSTAND
WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT.
BUT I MIGHT BE TALKING TO THAT
INDIVIDUAL ABOUT HOW DO I
NAVIGATE A SYSTEM AND
BUREAUCRACY OF THESE
ORGANIZATIONS SO THAT I CAN
UNDERSTAND HOW TO MOVE AN AGENDA
FORWARD.
SO, IT'S DIFFERENT PEOPLE,
DIFFERENT POINTS IN TIME.
SOMETIMES THEY WILL TALK ABOUT
BUILDING YOUR OWN NETWORK.
OTHER THINGS I WOULD SAY, THEY
DON'T NEED TO BE IN YOUR
DISCIPLINE.
VERY FEW PEOPLE THAT MENTORED
ME HAVE BEEN IN MY DISCIPLINE.
I'M A PROFESSOR OF MEDICINE BUT
I'M A PEDIATRICIAN.
SO, THINK -- DON'T HAVE TO BE IN
YOUR DISCIPLINE.
THEY DON'T HAVE TO BE IN YOUR
DEPARTMENT.
THEY DON'T HAVE TO BE IN YOUR
INSTITUTION.
AND FOR ME, HOW DO I LOOK FOR
OPPORTUNITIES, BE IT AT
PROFESSIONAL MEETING OR OTHER
PLACES, TO TALK TO PEOPLE.
TO START TO HAVE CONVERSATIONS,
DIALOGUE, IT'S ABOUT BUILDING
RELATIONSHIPS.
RELATIONSHIPS TAKE TIME.
AND SO I'M SORT OF ALWAYS ON THE
LOOKOUT FOR THE INDIVIDUALS THAT
I MIGHT BE ABLE TO DO THAT WITH.
SO, I'M WITH MY FELLOWS.
I'M TALKING TO THEM ABOUT WE'RE
GOING TO A MEETING TOGETHER.
WE'RE GOING TO THE AGENDA AND
SPEAKERS TO FIND OUT WHICH OF
THE SPEAKERS ARE HERE, DO YOU
NEED TO TALK TO AND GET TO KNOW
THAT MIGHT HAVE INSIGHT, MIGHT
BE ABLE TO HELP YOU SO THAT YOU
CAN START THAT CONVERSATION THAT
CAN GET FOLLOWED.
BEING DELIBERATE AND
INTENTIONAL, UNDERSTANDING THAT
NO ONE OWES YOU THAT THEY BECOME
YOUR MENTOR BUT THERE ARE
RESPONSIBILITIES YOU HAVE IN
RETURN.
I AT ALL TIMES EXPECT YOU WILL
MENTOR OTHERS COMING BEHIND.
TO THE ISSUE OF BEING
OVERBURDENED WITH MENTORING, I
THINK IT'S VERY DIFFICULT,
OFTENTIMES AS I SAID BEFORE
WE'RE ISOLATED WITH ONE ONLY AND
WE FEEL THIS RESPONSIBILITY FOR
HELPING THOSE WHO ARE COMING
BEHIND.
WHICH CAN LEAVE US OVERBURDENED,
UNDERRESOURCED.
AND SO WHAT ARE THE THINGS --
ONE OF THE THINGS IS TO TAKE
CARE OF YOURSELF, KNOW WHEN
YOU'RE ABLE TO SAY I CAN'T DO
MORE.
AND FOR ME, PART OF THE PEOPLE
WHO COME TO ME FOR MENTORING, I
SORT OF STOP AT THAT WORD, WHAT
DOES IS IT YOU WANT TO TALK
ABOUT ME ABOUT?
MOST OF THE TIME THEY WANT
ADVICE, A CONNECTION, SOMETHING
ELSE.
I CAN HELP THEM DO THAT.
CAN IT GROW INTO A MENTORING
RELATIONSHIP, YES.
BUT IT DOES NOT MEAN WE HAVE A
MENTORING RELATIONSHIP.
A LARGE PART OF WHAT I'M GOING
IS INTRODUCING THEM TO PEOPLE IN
MY NETWORK WHO MIGHT HELP THEM,
WRITING THAT E-MAIL, C.C.'ING.
IT'S AT THE INSTITUTIONAL LEVEL
AND ORGANIZATIONAL LEVEL.
IS THE INSTITUTION RECOGNIZING
YOUR WORK IN MENTORING, ARE THEY
COUNTING THAT TIME YOU'RE
PUTTING IN?
IS THAT TAKEN INTO CONSIDERATION
IN YOUR FTE AND ALLOCATION OF
TIME, INTO CONSIDERATION WHEN
IT'S TIME FOR PROMOTION AND
ADVANCEMENT AND MOVING FORWARD?
THERE ARE SOME OF THE -- NIDDK
CAME OUT WITH A NEW RFA, I DON'T
KNOW WHAT YOU CALL IT, WITHIN
THE PAST WEEK FOR SUPPLEMENTARY
GRANTS AROUND MENTORING AND
D.E.I.
NIH IS PUTTING OUT FUNDS.
ARE THERE FUNDS BEING MADE
AVAILABLE IN AN INSTITUTION THAT
CAN SUPPORT YOU IN YOUR
MENTORING ENDEAVORS?
INSTITUTIONS SHOULD BE DOING
PART OF THAT.
>> GIVING DUE CREDIT, INITIATIVE
LAUNCHED BY MARIE BERNARD'S
OFFICE, CHIEF SCIENTIFIC WORK
FORCE DIVERSITY.
WE HAVE RUN OUT OF TIME.
IT'S 3: 28.
I EXPRESS AGAIN MY DEEP
APPRECIATION FOR THE EFFORT YOU
PUT INTO THIS PRESENTATION
ADDRESSING MULTIPLE ISSUES, ONE
LAST COMMENT OR QUESTION THAT WE
WILL SEND TO YOU, REGARDING
PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES, BUT
THAT'S PROBABLY TOO LONG OF A
DISCUSSION TO COVER IN ONE
MINUTE.
AND I DO HAVE A 3:30 MEETING I
HAVE TO BE AT.
SO, JOAN, I THANK YOU AGAIN FOR
SHARING YOUR WISDOM WITH US.
AND FOR SPENDING THIS MUCH TIME
WITH OUR AUDIENCE.
YOU SPARKED A LOT OF INTEREST
AND COMMENTS.
THANK YOU AGAIN VERY MUCH.
SEE YOU SOON.
>> ALL RIGHT.
BYE-BYE.
BE SAFE.
THANK YOU.
>> THANK YOU.