"Why Aren't We All Mad?"

A Dialogue Series on Structural Racism in Health Care

The UTHSC College of Medicine (CoM) is hosting a virtual community discussion on Wednesday, June 24, that will include administration and faculty from the college, as well as community and faith leaders in Memphis. As the state’s academic medical institution, the College of Medicine is uniquely positioned to host this important dialogue to better understand the role of the college to make necessary changes to improve a system of structural racism that has created inequities in health care.

We understand that “structural racism in health care” is a broad topic. Structural racism is a starting point for the discussion and is defined as: a system in which public policies, institutional practices, cultural representations, and other norms work in various, often reinforcing ways to perpetuate racial group inequity. It identifies dimensions of our history and culture that have allowed privileges associated with “whiteness” and disadvantages associated with “color” to endure and adapt over time. Structural racism is not something that a few people or institutions choose to practice. Instead it has been a feature of the social, economic, and political systems in which we all exist.

From this discussion, the CoM is hoping to:

• Provide awareness that structural racism has effects on universities and colleges, including the CoM
• Openly discuss and reassure students, faculty, and staff that the college will commit to making changes to combat structural racism in all areas of our mission (education, clinical care, public service, and research) as they impact the health and well-being of our community
• Engage in an open dialogue with the audience about potential blind spots, examples of structural racism affecting the institution, and ways we can build a more equitable health care system here at UTHSC and the CoM by working together

This dialogue is the first in a series planned by the college and is supported by the UTHSC Office of Equity and Diversity. While a large portion of the focus will be on the College of Medicine, this event is open to the public and we invite you to join us and participate.

The discussion will be recorded and will be made available on this page following the conclusion of the event. To submit a question for the panelists, please fill out the form at the bottom of the page.