Dear HPM Students and Alumni,
We are living through extremely challenging times. We were disappointed that the end of the Spring semester had to occur on Zoom. We were disappointed to not celebrate the accomplishments of this year’s fantastic HPM graduates with family, friends, faculty, and fellow students at commencement. We were upset, but not surprised, when the COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated existing disparities in illness and premature death among African-Americans, Latinos, Native Americans, Asian Americans and other vulnerable populations in our community.
We too are upset and very disappointed to witness the marginalization of leading public health agencies, like the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Now, in the midst of a pandemic, the unfinished business of civil rights, racial justice and civic
responsibility has burst into protest marches sparked by the horrific murder of George Floyd by Minneapolis Police Officers. Mr. Floyd’s murder, captured on cell phone video for all to see, was a horrendous outrage, and his death reflects centuries of systemic racism in the United States. Even on our own campus, a racist murder claimed the life of Lt Richard Collins III. Systemic racism and negligence also claimed the life of Jordan McNair on the football practice field.
We grieve over the death and pain inflicted upon minority communities, a pattern that seems to be repeated over and over again. Some of us, our faculty/staff/students/alumni, not only grieve but actually live and experience the consequences of systematic racism in a real and tangible way on a daily basis. And, although we as a faculty and student body attempt to address the underlying causes through our work in public health, in improving the healthcare system, in research, and in advocacy, it is frustrating to feel as though we have not made more progress toward ensuring Black Lives Matter.
As a department, we believe that Black Lives Matter and are committed to being anti-racist. We commit to practicing being anti-racist not just in our research and teaching, but in the operation and the core values of the department. We commit to actively engaging students and alumni to ensure that systematic racism is addressed by providing the training and the tools to meaningfully address systematic racism and the manifestation of it in its multiple forms of health inequities, state-sanctioned violence, an unjust criminal justice system, lack of economic and educational opportunities, and disadvantaged neighborhoods, through research, policy, advocacy, and organizing as an important part of the department curriculum and programming. Our effort to heal the nation begins here in the School of Public Health, in our department. Moving forward we will be intentional in commitment to dismantle racism in all of its insidious forms (individual, interpersonal, institutional, and structural). What has worked in the past has gotten us this far. However, moving to a new post-pandemic future we must have new and fearless ideas from each of you on how best to carry out this mission. We truly are all in this together!
As we brainstorm and plan next steps, there are actions we ask you take with us including, but not limited to:
- We would like to support and recruit faculty and students interested in studying the impact of racism, police brutality, and criminal justice on health outcomes.
- Working with our Center for Health Equity and Center for Health Literacy, we will create a series of health in all policy briefs focused on race and health and pursue other venues for translating our research for policymakers, stakeholders, and the public.
We are here to listen and support you. Please feel free to speak with any of our faculty or staff members if you need help dealing with stress and anxiety related to the pandemic, discrimination, racism, or any other matter. We can connect you with resources available through the counseling center, student health, or other venues, and will do our best to listen and offer a helping hand.
We know these are trying times, and hope that you feel supported in your studies, professional careers, and personally by the faculty and staff of the department. We are very proud of the diversity in our department faculty, staff, and students, but we will strive to do better in actively engaging with all of you around these issues and ensure that we address systemic racism and incorporate issues like police brutality, the criminal justice system, and the impact of discrimination into our research and teaching.
Working together today, we can create a better tomorrow. Most importantly, keep hope alive!
Faculty and staff of the Department of Health Policy and Management
University of Maryland School of Public Health