Be the Change You Want to See in the World!

It’s one of the smallest ways to have the greatest impact…change your behavior.

AS FOUNDER OF WOMEN OF COLOR IN PHARMA (WOCIP), I THINK A LOT ABOUT ONE OF THE LESSONS MY MOTHER INSTILLED IN ME. On different days, the words she used were different, but they embodied the same lesson. One day, she would say “the only behavior you can control is your own” and another day she would say “you teach people how to treat you” and then she would say “life is not fair, it’s about what you make of it.”

When I entered Pharma as a young, smart, feisty physician wanting to change the lives of patients, it was these words, this lesson that steadied me and enabled me to know without a doubt that I needed to find my tribe in order to realize my mission!

What is the importance of finding my tribe? The mission that I set out to accomplish—changing the lives of patients, particularly those in underserved communities, would be no small feat and would require a collective. And so, I set out to identify those who had similar and/or complimentary life’s missions. The women you will meet in this premiere edition of the We Are Pharma! Advancing Equity magazine answered the call and together we formed WOCIP.

As a result of the Power of 9, along with many others who raised their hands to join us, Black and Brown women have formed and are understanding how to “Be the change they want to see in the world!” We are engaging in our workplace as a powerful and influential network that is laser focused on advancing equity and educating on the building blocks required to do this.

Leading the charge across the life sciences industry, as we have done in our communities and homes since the beginning of time, requires that we care for ourselves, adjust each other’s crowns, cheer each other on and identify those who can join us without dimming our light!

We matter. We are the change. We are Pharma!

Charlotte Jones-Burton, MD, MS president@wocip.org