Do Black Lives Matter? NORMAN T. REYNOLDS, MD Distinguished Life Fellow of the American Psychiatric Association
SUMMARY
Racism is systemic in American society and culture. The field of medicine is no exception. Unconscious prejudice or implicit bias toward minorities undermines adequate medical care for them. In order to create a more just and equitable medical culture for minorities, all parts of the medical system must admit to past mistakes toward minorities and embrace valuing diversity. To do so requires deliberate efforts and should not be left to chance or taken lightly. This must be done in order to make Black Lives Matter. INTRODUCTION
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6 | The Bulletin
I am ashamed to admit that when I first heard the phrase “Black Lives Matter,” I thought: “Of course, Black lives matter. All lives matter.” I consider myself someone who is fair-minded--not tolerant or color blind on racial issues but embracing of diversity. So how could I think that? Well, I am white. I grew up in a culture dominated by whites--white thinking and white attitudes. I was educated using public school textbooks, authored by whites, and taught by white teachers. The white perspective presented in textbooks is guilty of omissions more than commissions about the history of African Americans in America. Unfortunately, it is hard for any of us to see what has been made invisible. Tragically, no matter how hard I try, I cannot rid myself of the racism that I have been brainwashed to accept without question.
