*This message is being sent on behalf of David S. Stephens, MD and the RYSE Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Council in the Department of Medicine

Dear Department of Medicine Community,

One year ago today, a father, son, musician, and football scholarship awardee named George Perry Floyd lost his life after being suffocated under the knee of a law enforcement officer for more than nine minutes in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

The world witnessed this horrific act, which led to a wave of shared empathy and action both across the country and globally. Social injustice is not new in our country, nor was Mr. Floyd’s killing the last of its kind to flood our news feeds in the last year. Therefore, today we pause to reflect on the life of George Floyd and the many lives that have been lost and continue to be negatively impacted by social injustice and racism. For us, this also includes issues of health inequity, including health disparities and access to care. While these issues are very prevalent, we acknowledge the meaningful actions taken by many in our collective community this past year. We also recognize that this work must continue.

Mr. Floyd's death serves as a painful reminder of the long history of domestic injustice and fear felt by Black Americans. This past includes slavery, convict leasing, lynching, mass incarceration, medical experimentation, and many wrongful deaths. We recognize the unique impact this history and the present has on Black members of our department and their families. Let us all continue to push through our differences to lead with empathy in our actions—particularly for those who see their loved ones or themselves mirrored in Mr. Floyd.

If the past year of the COVID-19 pandemic has revealed anything, it is this: as a community, we have the capacity to care for others in need and to expand our hearts and life lenses to hold onto a piece of the suffering of others—even when we ourselves are hurting. In our remembrance of George Floyd, let us also remain vigilant in remembering the ongoing deaths and suffering happening throughout the world right now, much of which has a direct impact on the families of our faculty, staff, and learners. Also, let us recommit to continuing our efforts to see beyond our physical, religious, racial, and other identities and end social and health injustice in all forms.

In his letter from a Birmingham jail, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. said: “What affects one directly, affects all indirectly.” During this reflective time, may we all aspire to operate in an awareness of this truth.

Sincerely,

David S. Stephens, MD and the Diversity Equity Inclusion Council led by Jada Bussey-Jones, MD, and Kimberly Manning, MD

The Emory University Department of Medicine is a component of the Robert W. Woodruff Health Sciences Center of Emory University, which includes the Emory schools of Medicine, Nursing, and Public Health; Yerkes National Primate Research Center; Winship Cancer Institute; and Emory Healthcare.