May is a month punctuated by celebrating the history and awareness of many different facets of diversity. In no particular order, the month of May acknowledges Asian Pacific Americans, Old Americans, Jewish Americans, Old Jewish Americans, and individuals with mental health and behavioral issues.
May is Asian Pacific American month recognizing the first immigrants from Japan in 1843, May 7th.
May also marks the completion of the transcontinental railway on the 10th of the month, most of this work was completed by Chinese immigrants. Celebrating the culture of our Asian friends is of particular importance now during our struggles with corona virus.
May is also Older American month. This month was established as such in 1963 to recognize contributions by old Americans and help folks look forward to the future.
Jewish Heritage month is also recognized in May to recognize the many and varied contributions made by Jewish Americans.
Lastly, May hosts Mental Health Awareness month to raise awareness, educate people and decrease the stigmatization of mental illnesses.
The month of May gives us a lot to think about and appreciate in the diversity of our nation.
|
|
DIVERSITY CLIMATE SURVEY REMINDER
Thank you to all of you who have completed the survey! If you haven’t, we ask that you please complete it.
The Department of Pediatrics is committed to providing the best possible environment for all individuals within the Department of Pediatrics. An important step in creating a truly diverse, equitable and inclusive community is to understand faculty, staff and residents perspectives and experiences related to their work here at UNC.
This climate survey, due May 7th, is designed to help us gain an understanding by learning about our community’s perspectives and experiences related to diversity, equity and inclusion. The data collected will be used to understand the present climate here within the Department of Pediatrics and to inform current and future decisions about supporting a diverse, inclusive and vibrant campus community.
Your participation and responses will be strictly confidential and will not be part of any academic, medical, employment or disciplinary record. No individually identifiable information will be reported.
We highly encourage you to take this survey to help improve our work environment for all but taking the survey is voluntary. You may skip any question you are uncomfortable with or choose not to answer. You can exit the survey at any time.
Completing this climate survey should take about 7 minutes and the results will be analyzed by an outside source. Thank you for your time!
With sincere thanks,
The UNC Pediatrics Diversity Committee
|
|
“What is a microaggression? 14 things people think are fine to say at work — but are actually racist, sexist, or offensive”
In less than one month, two employees have publicly resigned from Salesforce, citing discrimination and a culture of microaggressions at the company. Vivianne Castillo, a former manager in the firm's design research and innovation unit, published her resignation letter on LinkedIn last week, writing that she endured "rampant microaggressions" as a Black woman. The letter comes weeks after a former Salesforce senior manager, Cynthia Perry, also publicly announced her departure from the company. "I am leaving my job at Salesforce because of countless microaggressions and inequity," Perry wrote on LinkedIn.The recent news at Salesforce puts a spotlight on microaggressions, or indirect, often unintentional expressions of racism, sexism, ageism, or ableism. They are a form of racism that come out in seemingly innocuous comments by people who might be well-intentioned.
|
|
Functional Cure for HIV-Positive Infants
Throughout her 30-year career, Filipino American physician and pediatric immunologist Katherine Luzuriaga, M.D., has made significant contributions to our understanding of persistent viral infections in children. In addition to developing one of the early diagnostic tests for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection in children, Luzuriaga also conducted clinical research into antiretroviral therapies (ART) labelled for use in children.
In 2014, Luzuriaga and her colleague Deborah Persaud, M.D., were credited with being behind the first well-documented case of an HIV-infected child being functionally cured of the infection (meaning that the toddler showed no signs of the disease or detectable levels of virus—that is, without detectable levels of virus and no signs of disease, even without taking ART). “Despite the fact that research has given us the tools to prevent mother-to-child transmission of HIV, many infants are unfortunately still born infected. With this case, it appears we may have not only a positive outcome for the particular child, but also a promising lead for additional research toward curing other children,” NIAID Director Anthony S. Fauci, M.D. said in a 2014 news release from the National Institutes of Health.
|
|
A Young People's History of the United States brings to US history the viewpoints of workers, slaves, immigrants, women, Native Americans, and others whose stories, and their impact, are rarely included in books for young people. A Young People's History of the United States is also a companion volume to The People Speak, the film adapted from A People's History of the United States and Voices of a People’s History of the United States.
Beginning with a look at Christopher Columbus’s arrival through the eyes of the Arawak Indians, then leading the reader through the struggles for workers’ rights, women’s rights, and civil rights during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, and ending with the current protests against continued American imperialism, Zinn in the volumes of A Young People’s History of the United States presents a radical new way of understanding America’s history. In so doing, he reminds readers that America’s true greatness is shaped by our dissident voices, not our military generals.
|
|
Underrepresented in Medicine Community List
The purpose of the Underrepresented in Medicine Community List is to allow students, staff, residents, and faculty of underrepresented identities that are affiliated with the UNC School of Medicine to find community, mentorship, and representation. Such identities include those belonging to non-dominant religions, races or ethnicities, and sexualities or gender identities.
This community is open and accessible to anyone with a UNC Onyen and password, including current staff, faculty, students, residents, and fellows.
|
|
|
|
May Dates to Note
Other important dates can be found on the
|
|
May 5 is Cinco de Mayo originating from Mexico. It marks the defeat of the French army during the Battle of Puebla (Batalla de Puebla) in Mexico on May 5, 1862, but is actually considered to be relatively minor to native Mexican history, and is really only celebrated in the Mexican state of Puebla. In the U.S., Cinco de Mayo is celebrated to commemorate Mexican culture and heritage, chiefly in cities and towns with large Mexican populations, such as Denver, CO, Portland, OR, and Chicago, IL, and is recognized with parades, food, music, and dancing. |
|
May 9, 2021 is Laylat al-Qadr, the “Night of Decree.” The first verses of the Quran were revealed to Prophet Muhammad; it is one of the odd nights within the last 10 days of Ramadan. Devotees offer extra prayers (particularly the night prayer) reading the Quran, and those who can afford it spend the night in the mosque, praying.
|
|
May 12 to 13, 2021 is Eid al-Fitr, the Muslim celebration commemorating the ending of Ramadan. It is a festival of thanksgiving to Allah for enjoying the month of Ramadan. It involves wearing one’s finest clothing, saying prayers, and nurturing understanding of other religions.
|
|
May 16 to 17, 2021 is Shavo’ut, the “Festival of Weeks,” the second of three major Jewish festivals that focus on historical and agricultural importance. The other two are Passover and Sukkot. Shavu’ot is not tied to a particular date, but follows Passover by 50 days. Agriculturally, it commemorates the time when the first fruits were harvested and brought to the Temple, and is known as Hag ha-Bikkurim (the Festival of the First Fruits). Historically, it celebrates the giving of the Torah at Mount Sinai, and is also known as Hag Matan Torateinu (the Festival of the Giving of Our Torah). Work is not permitted during Shavu’ot. It is customary to stay up the entire first night of Shavu’ot and study Torah, then pray as early as possible in the morning. It is also customary to eat a dairy meal at least once during Shavu’ot.
|
|
May 17 is the Anniversary of the School Desegregation Ruling. In 1954, racial segregation in public schools was unanimously ruled unconstitutional by the Supreme Court in Brown v. Board of Education, found to violate the 14th Amendment clause guaranteeing equal protection under the law.
|
|
May 21 is World Day for Cultural Diversity for Dialogue and Development, a day set aside by the United Nations in 2001 as an opportunity to deepen our understanding of the values of cultural diversity and to learn to live together better.
|
|
May 25 is African Liberation Day. Also known as African Freedom Day, it is a day to “mark, each year, the onward progress of the liberation movement, and to symbolize the determination of the People of Africa to free themselves from foreign domination and exploitation.”
|
|
Dates to Note is a compilation intended to include, but is not all-inclusive, notable information from the internet, Diversity Best Practices, 2021 Diversity Holiday Calendar, and other sources). |
|
Stuart Gold, MD - Committee Chair |
|
Alessandra Angelino, MD
Anjnea Green
Benny Joyner, MD
Christian Lawrence, MD
Denita Moore
|
|
Hadley Kifner, MDiv, BCC
Jennifer Gutierrez-Wu, MD
Jennifer McElroy
Kenya McNeal-Trice, MD
|
|
Martha Perry, MD
Nina Jain, MD
Robin Howard
Zachary Pettigrew, MD
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
