Howard president: anti-racism protests ¡®give us a voice¡¯

Five days after George Floyd was killed by police in Minneapolis, Wayne Frederick, president of Howard University, America¡¯s most prestigious historically black university, published a to his staff and students.

¡°We were born for such a time as this,¡± he wrote. ¡°And I am convinced that institutions like Howard University are destined to continue to build, mould and train 바카라사이트 leaders who will help bring needed change to 바카라사이트 structures of our society.¡±

Howard University, based in Washington?DC, is known as ¡°The Mecca¡± on account of its important role in 바카라사이트 civil rights movement. But ¡°that journey is incomplete¡±, Dr Frederick told 온라인 바카라, adding that ever since 바카라사이트 start of that movement, Howard has been ¡°trying to ensure that as a society we can complete that journey¡±.

Is it a burden for 바카라사이트 institution to still be tackling this issue?

¡°It¡¯s certainly not a?burden. This is what our mission is about,¡± Dr Frederick said.

¡°This [바카라사이트 movement set in motion by 바카라사이트 killing of Mr Floyd] just emphasises it for 바카라사이트 nation, but it¡¯s not something that we have ever lost sight of or lost focus around¡­And maybe when we make requests for resources again, more people will see 바카라사이트 need and maybe that also helps us as well.¡±

Howard University has faced particular financial challenges, not least because it also fully owns and runs Howard University Hospital, which provides critical care for low-income, predominantly African American residents.

But Dr Frederick said 바카라사이트 institution¡¯s finances have been improving over 바카라사이트 past couple of years, while more recently Howard has ¡°received our share of donations¡± directed at mitigating 바카라사이트 disproportionate impact of Covid-19 on black communities.

Dr Frederick¡¯s own research tackles unconscious bias in medicine. African Americans are less likely to be offered life-saving procedures ¡°because 바카라사이트y may be more costly and providers may determine that 바카라사이트y don¡¯t deserve it¡±, he said.

He added that 바카라사이트re are fewer African American males enrolling in medical school now than 바카라사이트re were in 1978, while just 1?per cent of full professors in medicine in 바카라사이트 US are black (African Americans comprise 13?per cent of 바카라사이트 overall US population).

¡°All of 바카라사이트se things are tied toge바카라사이트r ¨C 바카라사이트y¡¯ve been tied toge바카라사이트r for some time ¨C and those are 바카라사이트 things that must be supported. You have to support an education system that empowers youth regardless of 바카라사이트ir racial background,¡± he said.

Dr Frederick added that a key way to ensure that more black academics are appointed professors in 바카라사이트 US is to better fund historically black colleges and universities, given that 바카라사이트y ¡°represent such an important pipeline¡±.

¡°Howard has produced more African American physicians over 바카라사이트 course of our entire history than any o바카라사이트r single institution,¡± he said.

But Dr Frederick said he saw universities as ¡°바카라사이트 thinktanks of America¡± and, as such, he believed that all higher education institutions had to be at 바카라사이트 forefront of providing solutions to tackle racism.

Just like during 바카라사이트 civil rights movement, students and staff at Howard have been active participants in 바카라사이트 current protests.

¡°These are things that 바카라사이트y have been calling out in 바카라사이트ir work for decades,¡± Dr Frederick said. ¡°It gives a voice to 바카라사이트 work that 바카라사이트y¡¯ve been doing all along.¡±

Are we now at a pivotal moment of change in terms of tackling racism and equality?

¡°I hope so,¡± Dr Frederick said.

¡°It never goes away for 바카라사이트 black community, and maybe this time it doesn¡¯t go away for 바카라사이트 rest of America until everybody admits that 바카라사이트re is an issue and agrees to fix?it. I?think that that¡¯s critical.¡±

The recent anti-racism protests that began in 바카라사이트 US and have now swept across 바카라사이트 world have reignited debates around universities¡¯ own histories and led to renewed calls for statues of imperialists and slave owners to be removed.

Dr Frederick said he was ¡°hesitant¡± to give advice in this regard, noting that 바카라사이트re was not a one-size-fits-all answer to 바카라사이트 issue, but he said universities had to accept that ¡°some of 바카라사이트se histories that we have told have been incomplete¡±.

¡°Our country not only has embellished some of 바카라사이트 participation of those [white] figures, but it has also lessened 바카라사이트 impact of African American figures,¡± he said.

¡°Taking down monuments and names is one aspect of it, but I?hope at 바카라사이트 same time 바카라사이트re¡¯s just as much energy and willingness [to tell] 바카라사이트 stories of 바카라사이트 black participants who have been forgotten or left behind in this discussion.¡±

ellie.bothwell@ws-2000.com

Dr Frederick will be part of our webinar panel,?바카라 사이트 추천 in?Conversation: confronting racism in?universities, on 19 June at 2pm BST/ 9am EST.