CEO Update—A Reflection on Black History Month
- February 01, 2022
- David S. Cade , American Health Law Association
We often celebrate Black History Month by looking back at time long past, remembering significant events and honoring great heroes in the history of the African diaspora. And through that lens of immense gratitude, I wish for us to also examine the unprecedented past few years and recent months that suggest to me that we have more work to do to heal our nation.
Most recently, on November 23, a jury awarded $26 million in damages after finding the Unite the Right rally organizers liable for violence that took place during protests of the planned removal of a Confederate statue in Charlottesville, Virginia.
Then on November 24, as we were making final Thanksgiving Day plans with our family and friends, a guilty verdict was rendered against three white men who chased, cornered, and murdered Ahmaud Arbery, a 25-year-old man whose “crime” was jogging through a Georgian neighborhood while Black.
And finally, my world was rocked last month when my son was stopped by the police because he looked like someone they were after. They were looking for a Black man wearing a gray shirt walking in the grocery store parking lot. There was no crime reported—just a Black man walking in a grocery store parking lot. Fortunately, the gray shirts didn’t match so they let him go. My heart sank when he called to tell me the story. Our history teaches us that this could have gone wrong so quickly. I still pray for the day when who we are and what we look like are no longer causes for suspicion or acts of violence.
Yes, the past few months have left many Black Americans and allies with mixed emotions—how far have we truly come in our march towards equality, justice, acceptance, and inclusion? What would our great heroes of the past say?
One great hero, Martin Luther King, Jr., spoke to this when he said, “Human progress is neither automatic nor inevitable. Every step toward the goal of justice requires sacrifice, suffering, and struggle; the tireless exertions and passionate concern of dedicated individuals.” His message is as relevant today as it was then. There is more work to be done.
And how fitting that the theme of this year’s Black History Month is “Black Health and Wellness,” shining a light on how the COVID-19 pandemic has disproportionately affected Black Americans. The cracks within our already vulnerable health care and justice systems grew and became more visible than ever before, as Black Americans remained under protected and over exposed. A crucial element in COVID’s disparate impact is that many communities are still fractured and divided by race and class.
As individuals we feel helpless, small cogs in an insurmountable system, but as a profession, we roll up our sleeves and get to work. I’m incredibly proud of the way our Association and our volunteers have time and time again answered the call for action. Together we have continued to provide the invaluable tools and guidance health law professionals have needed to navigate the constant stream of new laws and regulations issued to address the pandemic and its fallout.
These efforts have inspired me to use this month not only to reflect on the past but use it to find pathways forward. Whether through your involvement with AHLA, or elsewhere, I invite you to explore ways you can contribute to our shared commitment to inclusion, diversity, equity, and accessibility (IDEA). Let’s celebrate Black History Month together by looking back to look forward.
I invite you to consider participating in any of the following opportunities this month:
◗ Engage in courageous conversations in our BIPOC in Health Law Network.1 If you haven’t joined yet, this online community was built for discussion among health law professionals interested in black, indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC) issues and as a forum for BIPOC members and allies to connect over their perspectives and shared experiences in the industry.
◗ Share your story.2 We want to hear from BIPOC members and allies this month—tell us who inspired you, what work there still needs to be done within our community, etc. We want to lift up your voices now and throughout the year.
◗ Get involved in AHLA.3 Our Volunteer Center always has open opportunities for our BIPOC members to get involved in writing, speaking, contributing, and leading the Association. AHLA needs your voice!
◗ Provide or update your demographic information.4 The more data we have about our membership, the better equipped we are to set benchmarks and goals to increase diversity in our volunteer pool.
◗ Propose new public health law topics.5 We want to hear from our BIPOC members and allies—what topics does the wider AHLA community need to learn more about to better serve the BIPOC community? How can we contribute to the dialogue in this space?
◗ Host a Day of Understanding.6 AHLA has incorporated a time for open dialogue to inspire change in various areas of IDEA at each monthly staff meeting. This month, we will be taking a “virtual tour” of several exhibits at the National Museum of African American History and Culture as part of our Day of Understanding.