A central aspect of Med Intima’s mission is to “celebrate the unique, intimate story of each individual.” More specifically, our editorial board hopes this can be a space for important conversation and discovery. To this end, we are featuring the voices and initiatives taking place at KUMC in pursuit of racial equality. Below, you will find educational resources, as well as short narratives highlighting how individuals and organizations are combatting systemic racism, sharing their stories, and improving medical education for Black students.
We hope that by engaging with this page of Med Intima, medical students will be better equipped to serve their communities as future physicians. Please note that this is far from a comprehensive list, and that we hope the resources and narratives we provide below can act as an introduction to a more open dialogue.
Our entire mission statement can be found at: https://medintima.com/about/
KUMC Narratives
The Women of Color Support Group
This confidential group provides women of diverse racial and ethnic backgrounds the opportunity to connect with and empower one another as we explore various life concerns and impactful themes, including identity, family, interpersonal relationships, race-related stress and trauma, academic distress and more.
INTERESTED? Email: Dr. Lynette Sparkman-Barnes at lsparkmanbarnes@kumc.edu or call (913)-588-7351.
Student National Medical Association
Learn more about their work to improve medical education for minority students and health outcomes for underserved populations at https://kumc.campuslabs.com/engage/organization/snma.
They have several events coming up this Fall (2020), including a mentor/mentee process. If you would like to be involved, connect with Florence Osei and Kiatana Ferguson-Square, the co-Presidents: kfergusonsquare@kumc.edu and fosei@kumc.edu.
Melanin in Medicine Podcast
From Kiatana Ferguson-Square and Florence Osei, this podcast details their experience through medical school and provides information on the application process, such as interviewing and the MCAT. Read more about it here: https://medintima.com/2020/04/13/speaking-the-truth/
Listen and subscribe to their work on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or Stitcher!
Educational Resources
1619 Podcast
1619 is a podcast hosted by Nikole Hannah -Jones of the New York Times that seeks to examine the long shadow of American slavery and the impacts it has had on every aspect of this country. This audio series is a part of the 1619 Project, an ongoing initiative from the New York Times that began in August 2019, which marked the 400th anniversary of the beginning of American slavery.
Listen and subscribe to this series on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, or directly through their site nytimes.com/1619podcast.
13th, a Netflix documentary
13th is a documentary available on Netflix, directed by Ava DuVernay. This film explores the history of the U.S. prison system and details how the Thirteenth Amendment led to mass incarceration and criminalization of African Americans.
Watch 13th on Netflix, with any account or a free 30-day trial.
So You Want to Talk About Race, by Ijeoma Oluo
In her nonfiction book So You Want to Talk About Race, Ijeoma Oluo explores all manner of subjects ranging from affirmative action to model minorities in order to initiate honest and productive conversations regarding race and racism, and how they permeate into everyday American life.
Rent So You Want to Talk About Race from a local library, or purchase this book in hardback, paperback, or Kindle on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, or Google Play.
America to Me, a documentary series
An unscripted documentary series directed by Steve James, America to Me examines racial, economic, and class issues in modern American education. This 10-part series focuses the diverse student population of Chicago’s Oak Park and River Forest High School, and follows their dreams, struggles, and successes.
Watch America to Me on Amazon Prime with the Starz subscription, or with a free 7-day trial.
Freedom Is a Constant Struggle, by Angela Y. Davis
A collection of essays, interviews, and speeches by renowned activist and scholar Angela Davis, Freedom Is a Constant Struggle explores the struggles against state violence and oppression throughout history and around the world, from the Black Freedom Movement to the South African anti-Apartheid movement to Ferguson, one of current struggles against state terror. Davis encourages readers to continue the movements for building lasting social change and freedom.
Rent Freedom Is a Constant Struggle from a local library, or purchase this book in hardback, paperback, or Kindle on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, or Google Play.
More Information and Resources for Black Lives Matter
Ways You Can Help
https://blacklivesmatters.carrd.co/
This website has many comprehensive lists of ways to help the Black Lives Matter movement, with options for petitions, donations, voting, education on racism, and resources for protesters.
Ally-ship Starter Kit
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1bUJrgX8vspyy7YttiEC2vD0DawrpPYiZs94V0ov7qZQ/htmlview
This Google Doc offers a number of educational articles, books, podcasts, films, and social medias regarding racism and how to be actively anti-racist.
Supporting Black Creators, The Provocateurs: A Master Series
https://blacklivesmatter.com/the-provocateurs-a-master-series/
The Provocateurs: A Master Series is a creative video series produced by Black Lives Matter Arts+Culture, featuring artists and creatives who create within a political framework.
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