CDU Residents Promote Medicine and Social Justice
BY GIGI SIMMONS. MD | CDU COM THIRD YEAR CHIEF ELECTED RESIDENT
THE DECISION TO PURSUE MEDICINE IS NOT ONE TO BE TAKEN LIGHTLY.
Medicine is a career of sacrifices and victories, one of exhaustion yet gratitude for the opportunity to save a life. As residents of Charles R. Drew University( CDU), we follow in the footsteps of not only those providing exemplary healthcare to the underserved and underrepresented but also those who left a legacy of social justice. CDU is built on the vision of excellent health and wellness for all in a world without health disparities. Not only are we physicians of biological processes but psychological and social wellness.
Racism has a long history as a Public Health crisis, but the repeated murder of Black men and women by police is highlighting this crisis that has dwelled in the shadows for centuries. Systemic racism is not new. It has a presence in all areas of black and brown lives from education to housing to the workplace. As residents, we are privileged to serve the community of Service Planning Area 6( SPA 6) composed mostly of Latino and African American populations living in poverty and overcrowded living conditions.
After the murder of George Floyd, a group of social justice driven residents, came together to organize a demonstration calling for change and awareness to racism as a Public Health crisis. The Martin Luther King Jr. Outpatient Center was invited to join in taking a knee for eight minutes, the time George Floyd suffered under the weight of oppression and racism ultimately ending his life. Multiple residency programs in Los Angeles, the state of California, and throughout the country also participated in demonstrations and protests for reform.
Following the murder of George Floyd, murders of other Black men and women occurred at the hand of the police including Breonna Taylor, Elijah McClain, and others who do not gain national attention. Drs. Roquell Laney, Felisha Eugenio, Soraya Boumediene, Nadia Mian, David Hampton, and Julian Hinson came together to devise a plan to educate the community about surviving police interactions as Black and Brown people. As a result, Reclaiming Our Rights was born. Residents were able to promote the event on social media platforms and Big Boys Neighborhood, a nationally syndicated morning talk show.
The first webinar took place Aug 30 including a panel of Attorney Jolanda Jones, Attorney Ayinde Jones, Dr. Italo Brow, an Emergency Department Physician, and Bail Bondsman Don Sullivan. For two hours, each person presented information on surviving police interactions, explained the rights of civilians when stopped by police, answered audience questions, and gave insight about the future work that still needs to be done. Please follow @ reclaimingourrights on Instagram for future events.
As Family Medicine Residents, it is essential that we take into account the social determinants of health when treating our patients. Primary Care Physicians are on the front lines fighting for patients to have bio-psycho-social wellness that are challenged daily by systemic racism. Our fight as residents to uphold the vision of CDU and social justice for the community of SPA 6 continues.
Anxiety and Depression are on the rise in the Black and Brown community. Symptoms are often diminished as“ surviving”. Seeking and receiving treatment is often stigmatized within the community. There is currently a movement to normalize seeking mental health services within these communities.
CDU COLLEGE OF MEDICINE | PG. 14