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Sherman James Leads Timely Discussion Of Racism At SER Virtual Meeting
We are in a teachable
moment about racism in America, and the question is---what will we do
with it?
That was one of the
opening thoughts shared by Sherman James at the recent virtual
SER meeting held in mid-June 2020. As Professor Emeritus at Duke, a
former SER president, and a highly regarded researcher on racism in
America, James was highly qualified to provide useful insights to the
SER community as it seeks to respond to recent events. SER made a
commitment in a recent statement to work “toward racial justice and
equity in the field of epidemiology, in our communities, and in
society as a whole.”
Chaired by SER
President Martha Werler, the session also included Onyebuchi
Arah, Professor at the Department of Epidemiology, UCLA Fielding
School of Public Health and Yvette Cozier, Associate Professor
in the Department of Epidemiology at Boston University School of
Public Health.
Three Crises
As the lead presenter,
James discussed the three crises facing the US at the present moment,
namely the COVID 19 pandemic, economic collapse, and systemic
anti-black racism by police. He included as pandemic-related stressors
on African Americans their disproportionate death rates which as of
late May were 2.5 times greater than whites and 2.2 times greater than
Asian Americans and LatinX. Also, black Americans are experiencing
increased unemployment, and are at increased risk as low wage
essential workers.
Endemic Stressors
James called police
and vigilante killings “endemic stressors” for African Americans and
included on this list daily activities such as voting, driving,
jogging, shopping, house-hunting, receiving health care, and building
careers.
Racism Definition
James borrowed from
other investigators to construct his definition of racism as “an
organized social system in which the dominant racial group…ranks
people into social groups called ‘races’ and then uses its power to
devalue, disempower, and limit the allocation of valued resources and
opportunities to groups they deem inferior…”
This racism can
express itself as structural when it is manifested in laws,
policies, or social networks (e.g., residential segregation) or
cultural when it promotes negative stereotypes (e.g., blacks are
lazy).
James called racism a
fundamental cause of racial health inequities because it is a cause of
causes. For example it influences multiple disease outcomes and is
responsible for multiple risk factors.
Peculiar
Indifference
A particularly
disturbing point made by James is the quote he shared from WE
Dubois in his publication about the
Philadelphia
Negro in 1899. “The most difficult social problem in the matter of
Negro health is the peculiar attitude of the nation toward the
well-being of the race. There have…been few other cases in the history
of civilized peoples where human suffering has been viewed with such
peculiar indifference.”
Moral Awakening
James noted that
recent events have caused a kind of moral awakening and the appearance
of a number of what he called “promising green shoots”. However, he
warned that a reckoning of some type will be needed before society is
truly able to move forward.
Suggestions for SER
As concerns SER
itself, James believes the society has work to do to be more welcoming
to black epidemiologists and to be more proactive in encouraging or
showcasing research that has a focus on systemic racism. This latter
action could be accomplished by providing more space and time for
racism related work at SER meetings.
He urged SER to
rethink its mission, not to minimize all of the current activities,
but to expand the mission for SER to see itself as taking care of the
profession of epidemiology, both its current and future members. He
urged SER to be more proactive and a catalyst for change by reaching
out to epidemiology department chairs to find out what each is doing
to create a more welcoming environment for aspiring epidemiologists,
especially those of color.
SER Statement on
Racism
SER has been among the
first if not the only epidemiology organization to issue a statement
on racism in America as of mi- June. In a statement posted on its
website, SER stated “George Floyd’s
murder may have been a catalyst for the current wide-spread protests
of police violence, but the pernicious violence that preceded George
Floyd’s passing highlights the centuries of racial inequality that
persist in the everyday lives of our membership and our scholarship,
and have enduring impacts on population health. While words remain
fraught and hollow, we reinforce our commitment to racial justice and
equity, in epidemiology and in our service to membership…We are
committed to working toward racial justice and equity in the field of
epidemiology, in our communities, and in society as a whole.
To listen to the James
presentation and listen to the conversation, readers can click on this
link:
https://bit.ly/314o23Y
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