Dear students,
In light of the horrifying killings of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, Stephon Clark, and countless other Black men and women across this country, we acknowledge the pain, anger, and sadness these events have caused. Although distress of these events has reverberated throughout our community, the highest cognitive, emotional and advocacy burden rests on the shoulders of our Black students, faculty and staff, who live with this racism and the threat of brutality on a regular basis, not just at times of national unrest.
We also acknowledge that these killings represent a systemic trend: Studies show that Black men in the US are about three times more likely than whites to be killed by police
,
and one in every 1,000 Black men will die at the hands of police.
It is clear that structural racism and its manifestations in the form of police brutality, systemic economic and educational disadvantage, and health and health care disparities is a public health crisis. It intersects with and is as much of a pandemic as COVID-19.
Therefore, as we prepare to welcome a new class and continue to support our current extraordinary students, we are redesigning our educational programs to address these two epidemics, both of which are responsible for intolerable amounts of suffering and loss of life in our communities. Like all important change work, this will require a continuous improvement mindset and the concerted work of all of us. Within the coming month, we will announce curriculum changes to incorporate anti-Black racism into the four-year medical school curriculum.
In the meantime, we hope all of our students will take advantage of the resources available to you during these difficult times.
