Our memo brings together information that reflects the current thinking on how to progress Diversity, Equity and Inclusion in the workplace. Each month it is bursting with highlights for reflection and inspiration. Let us continue to work together to help influence social change, to achieve a safer and fairer society.
*Please note that this memo reflects the feelings and thoughts of your Diversity Committee. It is not meant to capture all the feelings within our Department. We openly recognize all may not agree. We do hope these memos help educate all of us about diversity issues and in addition invoke thoughtful and courteous discussion and debate*
~ The Pediatrics Diversity Committee
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First, please accept my apologies for more than a few typos in our February Diversity Memo, we will strive to do better in the future. Some typos from last month included and are now corrected are:
- Date of birth for Harriet Tubman should have been 1820
- Names:
- Elizabeth Cady Stanton
- Ruth Bader Ginsburg
- Emmeline Pankhurst
- Marie Curie
April is Diversity Month and has been since 2004! This month is a good time to get to really know each other, appreciate and respect our differences as well as recognize everyone’s contributions. As our gardens start to bloom, take this month to look at all of the different flowers we find in nature: different sizes, colors, shapes and fragrances. One flower is not better than another, but in concert, they all contribute to the beauty of the garden. As we explore our differences and learn about one another, we will better understand how together all of our contributions and differences improve our personal and work lives. There will be mistakes and many curves in the road as we move towards Equity. Take the time to help others. Have understanding and give people a wide berth to navigate these sometimes treacherous roads. We can make it to Equity with love, patience, caring and appreciation. It is an obtainable goal.
The 2nd of April is World Autism Day. Also, the second at sundown starts Ramadan, Islam’s most sacred month. Islam is the world’s second largest religion hosting 1.8 billion followers. The holiday is observed by Muslims by fasting and introspection.
On the 8th of April, Buddha was born and is a day of celebration and recognition of this spiritual leader and teacher.
Passover lasts eight days and starts at sundown on the 15th. This Jewish holiday commemorates the exodus of the Israelites from Egyptian slavery. No leavened foods during this holiday.
Sunday, April 17th is Easter, or Resurrection Sunday which is one of the holiest of days for our Christian friends. Christianity has the most followers of any religion in the world (about 2.4 billion). It is also the most geographically diverse religion.
April 21-23rd is the Gathering of Nations Pow Wow where over 560 Native American tribes from the United States and 220 from Canada unite and celebrate their cultures in Albuquerque New Mexico. This celebration started in 1983 and now hosts 72,000 (2017).
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UPCOMING DIVERSITY TOWN HALL |
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Topic: Next Steps: Pediatric Climate Survey
Date: Thursday, April 7, 2022
Time: 12:00pm – 1:00p
Zoom Info:
Meeting ID: 980 2055 2152
Passcode: 076660
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By: Mariana Brandman, NWHM Predoctoral Fellow in Women’s History | 2020-2022
A dedicated public health advocate, Antonia Novello made history as the first female and first Hispanic U.S. Surgeon General in 1990. Novello has led several major public health campaigns in her efforts to improve health conditions and access to medical care, especially for women, children, and minority populations.
Antonia Novello was born Antonia Coello in Fajardo, Puerto Rico on August 23, 1944, the eldest of three children. Novello’s father, Antonio Coello, passed away when she was young and her mother, Ana Delia Flores Coello, worked as a school teacher and principal. Her mother emphasized the importance of education, hard work, and respect and care for others, all lessons that Novello took to heart.
As a child, Novello suffered from a condition called congenital megacolon, an abnormality of the large intestine. The condition limited her energy and activities. Her family could not afford the surgery that would correct it, so she spent her summers getting interim treatment in a local hospital. Novello was finally able to have the surgery when she was 18 years old, but a second operation was required two years later before the condition was fully cured. This experience left Novello determined to become a doctor, so that she could help other sick children, especially those who struggled to access the medical care they required.
An excellent student, Novello earned a scholarship to the University of Puerto Rico and received her B.S. in 1965. She attended the University of Puerto Rico School of Medicine, from which she graduated in 1970. After medical school, Novello married Joseph R. Novello, a navy flight surgeon who went on to become a psychiatrist, author, and medical journalist.
While she was in medical school, Novello’s aunt died of kidney failure. Her aunt’s passing inspired Novello to learn more about kidney disease and the transplant process. Novello went on to specialize in pediatric nephrology (the study of the kidneys), first completing her residency in pediatrics at the University of Michigan (1974) and then her nephrology fellowship at Georgetown University (1976). At the University of Michigan, Novello was the first woman named Pediatrics Intern of the Year.
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By Sarabeth Knobel
Diversity and Inclusion is a key part of our DNA at ON Semiconductor. We work on a daily basis to provide our employees with a safe, respectful and inclusive environment where each of our unique attributes, abilities and personalities can thrive. From working with our partners at Fairygodboss and DiversityComm to being listed on the Bloomberg Gender Equality Index, our employees are the focus of all of our efforts.
In the month of April, we celebrate diversity by organizing and hosting global gatherings highlighting our employees and their cultures. This includes learning more about global games, customs, entertainment and cuisine. While we do these special activities every April, we are not limited to these 30 days as the only time we can look for and promote the diversity within our lives and communities.
Now, more than ever, we live in a world with endless opportunities and resources to learn about the cultures and people around us. Take advantage of learning about other cultures and customs, as we all are dealing with a global pandemic putting a different focus on the importance of understanding all cultures and people while taking advantage of opportunities and resources to connect us and learn from one another.
During this season of social distancing, see below for a list of virtual or in-home activities that can help you start your diversity celebration! Read full article here.
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By Mahzarin R. Banaji
I know my own mind.
I am able to assess others in a fair and accurate way.
These self-perceptions are challenged by leading psychologists Mahzarin R. Banaji and Anthony G. Greenwald as they explore the hidden biases we all carry from a lifetime of exposure to cultural attitudes about age, gender, race, ethnicity, religion, social class, sexuality, disability status, and nationality.
“Blindspot” is the authors’ metaphor for the portion of the mind that houses hidden biases. Writing with simplicity and verve, Banaji and Greenwald question the extent to which our perceptions of social groups—without our awareness or conscious control—shape our likes and dislikes and our judgments about people’s character, abilities, and potential.
In Blindspot, the authors reveal hidden biases based on their experience with the Implicit Association Test, a method that has revolutionized the way scientists learn about the human mind and that gives us a glimpse into what lies within the metaphoric blindspot.
The title’s “good people” are those of us who strive to align our behavior with our intentions. The aim of Blindspot is to explain the science in plain enough language to help well-intentioned people achieve that alignment. By gaining awareness, we can adapt beliefs and behavior and “outsmart the machine” in our heads so we can be fairer to those around us. Venturing into this book is an invitation to understand our own minds.
Brilliant, authoritative, and utterly accessible, Blindspot is a book that will challenge and change readers for years to come.
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We are in the process of developing sub-committees to further our work, expedite our cause, and make it possible for more people to be involved. Your beliefs do not need to be the same as that of the current committee. If you are interested, please let us know which committee would be of interest to you. If you have an area of interest that is not listed, please make that known. The topics for these sub-committees may grow, shrink, or disappear. Please send an email to peds_diversity@med.unc.edu if you are interested in joining.
Our sub-committees to date will include:
- Pediatric Student Curriculum
- Pediatric Resident Curriculum
- Pediatric Fellow Curriculum
- Town Hall and Grand Round Topics
- Advocacy for our Hispanic Population
- Advocacy for our Native American Population
- Promotion Diversity Statements
- Clinical Care
- Mentorship of UIM in Pediatrics
- Exit Interviews
- Wellness
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Hopefully covid cases will continue to decline but the effects of this virus will be with us for a very long time. The focus on illness and death with covid, and now the stress of a war in Ukraine, makes for a stressful and anxiety producing life. We are constantly reminded every time we watch the news or read a newspaper. There have been many changes and what we considered our “norm”, is different now. We hear much talk of wellness, and maybe the word is used too much. Taking care of yourself now is just as, or maybe even more, important than when we were in the midst of the pandemic. A good definition of wellness came from Pfizer: “the act of practicing healthy habits on a daily basis to attain better physical and mental health outcomes, so instead of just surviving, you’re thriving”.
Some thriving suggestions:
1. Buddy up with someone and check on them.
2. Exercise and increase those endorphins.
3. Make time for yourself.
- Take 2 hours twice a week, or more to turn everything off (pager, cell phone, EPIC) and do something for yourself. Something that will reduce anxiety and stress.
Some additional suggestions:
- Meditate/practice mindfulness.
- Hypnosis/self-hypnosis.
- Take a walk.
- Catch up with a friend or buddy.
- Paint/or practice some other art form.
- Journal or write – poetry, prose.
- Even use this uninterrupted time to catch up on work if that will make you feel better.
4. Decrease emails for yourself and others. Do not email on nights or weekends unless urgent.
If you write emails at these times delay their delivery until normal work hours if possible.
5. Have empathy for others and yourself, everyone is stressed out these days.
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For the first time in many years, Ramadan will be taking place entirely within the bounds of the school year. For many Muslim students, this is their first time celebrating Ramadan away from home and their families. To make Ramadan … Continued
The Graduate School’s Diversity and Student Success program invites the UNC-Chapel Hill campus community to the inaugural Surviving and Thriving Summit. We will explore stories from graduate students of color through interactive storyboards and a performance piece, culminating in a facilitated … Continued
Gregorio Millett, MPH, vice president and director of public policy at amfAR, will deliver the lecture "Past as Prologue: COVID-19, HIV and Other Infectious Disease Inequities by Race/Ethnicity. Examining and addressing inequities by geography, income, race/ethnicity, sex or other characteristics is … Continued
Carolina Center for Jewish Studies will host “Reflections in a Time of War: Yiddish Culture and Jewish History in Ukraine.” The online event will feature a panel of speakers, including the following: Daniel Kahn, Berlin-based singer/songwriter Naomi Seidman, Jackman Humanities … Continued
Faculty, staff, and administrators—do you work with graduate and professional students? Join the co-authors of this selected chapter in A Practitioner’s Guide to Supporting Graduate and Professional Students as they discuss innovative practices for retaining graduate and professional students from … Continued
As a part of Kenan-Flagler's DEI Spring '22 Programming Series, the school will present "Latinx Student Reflections on Identity and Leadership." This presentation features two of Kenan-Flagler’s own graduate students: Kevin Ortiz (MBA ‘23) and Herrison Chicas (PhD, OB, ’24) … Continued
Visiting Scholar Dr. Leslie Bow will present "Southern Kitsch?" Reading Kawaii Asian Things." This talk looks at the history of a demeaning racial form at the intersection of Southern and Asian American Studies: the personified household object.
We will be celebrating our community’s youngest heroes, along with healthcare workers, teachers, authors, and their fictional characters. Kidzu will be showcasing children’s stories throughout the pandemic and hosting a bilingual (English/Spanish) storytime in our Forest Theater every Friday afternoon! Each week will feature a story about different types of wellness and how we can better care for ourselves and our community, highlighting diverse protagonists, authors, and storylines. Selected books will also be featured in our virtual Book Buzz packets, open-sourced activity guides available on our website!
First Seder – April 15, 2022
Second Seder – April 16, 2022 - Hampton Inn-Chapel Hill/Carrboro
Our Seder is mostly in English and not prayer intensive, so everyone can feel welcome. Enjoy fine wines, gourmet dinner, and crispy hand-made Matzot. Together we’ll discover the eternal meaning of the Haggadah at a Seder experience that will be uplifting, relevant, and joyous. Please spread the word to others who might be looking for a Seder to attend.
April 22 @ 12:00 pm - 1:00 pm
The Southeast Asian Approaches Carolina Seminar will host NC Southeast Asian Poets Ina Cariño and Eric Tran as they do a reading of their selected poetry and host a Q&A session. This event will be moderated by Trisha Remetir, a … Continued
The Hip Hop South Festival celebrates the impact of hip hop across the South. Co-curated by Harvard Nasir Jones Hip Hop Fellows Christopher Massenburg (also known as Dasan Ahanu) and Dr. Regina Bradley, the festival includes headlining performances by hip … Continued
April 23 @ 8:00 am – 2:00p - Run for Malawai @ Southern Village Green
Chip-timed 5K, individual marathon, or team relay marathon to support the Malawi Children’s Initiative, a Chapel Hill-based non-profit focused on improving the lives of Malawian children through investment in healthcare, education, and nutritional initiatives.
All race finishers will receive a unique wooden race medallion hand-carved by artisans in Malawi and a Run for Malawi shirt. Prizes will be awarded for both the top finishers and top fundraisers and a post-race festival on the Southern Village Green will include live music, food, beer, and wine, as well as bounce houses, games, and family activities.
The Hip Hop South Festival celebrates the impact of hip hop across the South. Co-curated by Harvard Nasir Jones Hip Hop Fellows Christopher Massenburg (also known as Dasan Ahanu) and Dr. Regina Bradley, the festival includes headlining performances by hip … Continued
April 23 @ 6:00 pm – Orange – Chatham African Cultural Festival - Chapel Hill Carrboro Schools (formerly Lincoln Center)
Come out to celebrate African American Heritage and Culture through the mediums of art, music, dance, drama, and poetry.
April 27 @ 7:00 pm - August Wilson’s How I Learned What I Learned - PlayMakers' Repertory Company
From one of America’s greatest playwrights comes this autobiographical journey through August Wilson’s days as a young poet, his first few jobs, a stint in jail, and his encounters with racism, music, and love as a struggling writer. This heartfelt theatrical memoir charts one man’s journey of self-discovery through adversity, and what it means to be a black artist in America.
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Reoccuring Events/Resources:
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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.
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April Dates to Note
Other important dates can be found on the
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Arab-American Heritage Month |
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Celebrate Diversity Month |
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National Child Abuse Prevention Month |
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April 2 – World Autism Awareness Day
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April 6 – National Tartan Day (Scottish)
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April 10 – Palm Sunday (Christian)
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April 15 – Good Friday (Christian)
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April 15-23 – Passover (Jewish)
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April 17 – Easter (Christian)
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April 20 – Start of Rivdan (Baha’i)
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April 23 – National Day of Silence (LGBTQIAA+)
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April 27-28 – Yom Hashoah (Jewish)
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April 28 – Laylat al-Qadr (Muslim)
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April 30 – Ramadan ends (Muslim)
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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. |
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Stuart Gold, MD - Committee Chair
Christian Lawrence, MD -Committee Vice Chair
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Alessandra Angelino, MD
Benny Joyner, MD
Christel Wekon-kemeni, MD
Denita Moore
Gretter Benitez, MD
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Jennifer Gutierrez-Wu, MD
Jennifer McElroy
Kenya McNeal-Trice, MD
Martha Perry, MD
Jen Fuchs, MD
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Nikki Ferrin, MD
Nina Jain, MD
Robin Howard
Steven Weinberg, MD
Zachary Pettigrew, MD
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