Dear Members of the HMS Community:
Sundays are meant for rest. Instead, there is pervasive unrest across our country. The murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis is the latest in what is a long history of senseless and cruel killings of black people, including 26-year-old Breonna Taylor and Ahmaud Arbery, who would have turned 26 on May 8.
It’s important to say their names and observe that each of them died doing things that many of us have the privilege of taking for granted, like grocery shopping, relaxing in our homes or taking a run. These activities will now cause many more to live in fear for themselves and their families.
The backdrop for this violence rests in something more insidious that has not yet been fully addressed. And it is the result of racism, inequality and discrimination. Members of our black and brown communities and those on the margins, who often are without voice, are disproportionately suffering and dying from illness and disease.
COVID-19 has taught the U.S. a hard lesson about the role of social determinants of health in patient outcomes, but this is not new information. We must go beyond recognizing the impact of these economic and social conditions and commit to further understanding the root causes and addressing them.
These threats and loss of life must be called what they are: outrageous consequences of deeply ingrained racism, which has seen an ugly resurgence in recent years. This has reopened wounds for some members of our community and served as a reminder for others of the discrimination and injustices faced by many in our society. My heart goes out to those who are suffering and are fearful. Please know that I am committed to ensuring that HMS is a safe haven.
HMS is a community of healers and leaders. Our mission and values and our diversity statement signify our deep commitment to respect, integrity and accountability. Among these core principles is that we acknowledge the strengths and weaknesses of our history and actively promote social justice, challenge discrimination and address disparities and inequities.
Each of us must stand as a defender of higher ideals and an advocate for a more just and inclusive society. I ask each of you to take a few moments today to reflect on our individual roles and responsibilities, as HMS prepares this week to release the formal report of our Task Force on Diversity and Inclusion, which was chaired by Dr. Joan Reede and will speak to our aspirations as a community. Through both individual and collective action, HMS can be a force for good and an agent of change during these challenging times.
In closing, I encourage you to read—or reread—Langston Hughes’ “Freedom’s Plow,” which uplifts us and reminds us to keep moving forward.
Sincerely,
George Q. Daley
Dean of the Faculty of Medicine
Harvard University