Dear Pre-Med Society Members,
We are deeply heartbroken and horrified by the murders of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, and many other members of the Black community due to police brutality. We stand against the anti-Black sentiments that plague our country and threaten the lives of Black people. As we continue to wrestle with the inequalities and disparities that disproportionately affect the Black community, we would like to clearly state that WashU’s Pre-Med Society stands in solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement, but our support goes beyond just making a statement.
As aspiring members of the medical profession, our goal is to serve all of our community members to the best of our ability to ensure that they receive the best healthcare possible. Recent events have further highlighted the hundreds of years of systemic violence against the Black community and the failure of the healthcare system to support them as well as it should. Let us take this time to reflect on what responsibilities we hold as we enter the healthcare system. Let us take time to take action, educate ourselves, and break our silence.
You may be asking, what can I be doing right now? This is a question that we will have to continue asking ourselves for the rest of our lives. As students, we can be challenging and speaking out against the injustices in our communities, in St. Louis, and in our classrooms. We can educate ourselves by taking classes on racial justice, history of St. Louis, and sociology. We can engage with the community, both on campus and off campus. Check out action items, book lists, and other resources compiled by social justice organizations on our campus.
We will continue to send emails to update you all on how to be involved in St. Louis and nationally and how to find support. If you have any resources you would like us to share as well, please let us know. Do not hesitate to reach out to any of the executive board members at any time – we are here to support you. Many of us will never understand what it is like to be in the place of our Black friends, but we see you, we are here for you, and we stand with you.
Below are some resources to check out:
Black Lives Matter website: https://blacklivesmatter.com/what-we-believe/
A report conducted by WashU and St. Louis University titled For The Sake of All: A report on the health and well-being of African Americans in St. Louis and why it matters for everyone was conducted in 2013. Racial health disparities is a deep-rooted issue in the United States, especially St. Louis. This report goes into great detail on the disparities and is backed by empirical evidence. https://cpb-us-w2.wpmucdn.com/sites.wustl.edu/dist/3/1454/files/2018/06/FSOA_report_2-17zd1xm.pdf
An article published in the Boston Review on COVID-19 and racial disparities: http://bostonreview.net/race/colin-gordon-walter-johnson-jason-q-purnell-jamala-rogers-covid-19-and-color-line
Listed here are just a few organizations that help bridge the inequalities in healthcare. If you are able, consider donating to these efforts:
Stop the Bleed St. Louis is a non-profit collaborative of health professionals and students working to reduce the impact of trauma, injury and violence through training, kits, merchandise, violence recovery support, and youth mentoring: https://www.stopthebleedstl.org/
Jamaa Birth Village is a midwifery, doula and maternal health organization located in Ferguson, Missouri and serving the greater St. Louis metro area. The organization supports families with perinatal care to lower infant and maternal mortality/morbidity rates that are significantly higher for African-American women: https://jamaabirthvillage.org/
Generate Health mobilizes the St. Louis region to advance racial equity in pregnancy outcomes, family well-being, and community health: https://generatehealthstl.org/about-us/
The Midwest Innocence Project educates about, advocates for, and obtains and supports the exoneration and release of wrongfully convicted people in the Midwest: https://themip.org/
The Ethical Society of Police in St. Louis was founded in 1972 by African American Police Officers to address race-based discrimination within the community and the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department. In 2018, the Society expanded to the St. Louis County Police Department: https://esopstl.org/about-us
Forward Through Ferguson was established to be a catalyst for lasting positive change in the St. Louis region as outlined in the Ferguson Commission Report. The organization impacts communities and mobilizes accountable bodies to advance racially equitable systems and policies: https://forwardthroughferguson.org/
~Pre-Med Executive Board 2020-2021
