Medical students organize events for racial justice

Medical students at the University of South Alabama College of Medicine led events in support of racial justice Wednesday, drawing hundreds of fellow students, faculty and staff to solemn demonstrations at USA Health hospitals where they train as future physicians.

“I hope we remember this isn’t just for the sake of taking a picture to say that we held signs saying ‘White Coats for Black Lives,’” said Nkemdi Agwaramgbo, a third-year medical student and a member of the USA chapter of the Student National Medical Association. “I hope that today, June 10, 2020, that we can finally take a stand.”

Speaking to a crowd of more than 80 people in the courtyard at USA Health Children’s & Women’s Hospital, Agwaramgbo, who is black, wiped tears as he admitted to struggling with standing against racial injustice for fear it would affect his ambitions to become a physician, pursue a fellowship and climb the ladder of academic medicine.

“Even though I do have my own aspirations, I look at the revolutionary men and women who came before me and put their lives on the line and their careers on the line, and I ask myself, ‘How can I be so selfish?’” he said. “I’ve made a decision on where I want to stand in this conversation, where I want to stand in history. It’s going to be never two knees in the dirt, but two feet on the ground with my head held high.”

Separated by social distancing, some participants held signs, and all joined in taking a knee during a moment of silence in honor of George Floyd, the black man killed by Minneapolis police and who galvanized an international movement for racial justice.

“The emotion definitely was palpable,” said Gisella Ward, a second-year medical student from Mobile who has served as an officer of the SNMA chapter. Ward, who holds a master’s degree in public health, said she intends to pursue a career in family medicine.

At USA Health University Hospital, about 100 students, faculty and staff knelt on the helipad for nine minutes in honor of Floyd.

“Every day, we focus on inequities of health, but we recognize now that all those things that influence patient health are much more important, such as inequities in education and economic attainment. Now we’ve had the curtain pulled back on inequities in criminal justice,” said Errol Crook, M.D., professor and Abraham Mitchell chair of internal medicine at the USA College of Medicine.

Crook told the crowd: “As a black man, I could have been George.”

Angela Mosley-Johnson arrived at the event after a day of her clerkship rotation in internal medicine. Next year, the York, Ala., native will become the first physician in her family.

“It is important for us to build a different community where systemic racism and the ways in which it affects the health of communities of color can be openly discussed,” she said. “It’s an important step in improving the communities we serve.”

Ashley Cainion, the outgoing president of the SNMA chapter, agreed that the show of support is significant.

“It may seem small to some people, but it’s a big deal to us,” said Cainion, a third-year medical student from Dothan. “People at all levels at USA Health are coming together to support this. We’re getting this conversation started. That’s how we believe we can start making changes.”

View more photos from the White Coats for Black Lives event on Facebook.