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Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2020. The Impacts of Racism and Bias on Black People Pursuing Careers in Science, Engineering, and Medicine: Proceedings of a Workshop. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/25849.
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THE IMPACTS OF RACISM
AND BIAS ON
BLACK PEOPLE
PURSUING CAREERS IN SCIENCE,
ENGINEERING, AND MEDICINE

PROCEEDINGS OF A WORKSHOP

Cato T. Laurencin, Editor

Cedric M. Bright and Camara P. Jones, Rapporteurs

Roundtable on Black Men and Black Women
in Science, Engineering, and Medicine

Policy and Global Affairs

Health and Medicine Division

images

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Washington, DC
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Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2020. The Impacts of Racism and Bias on Black People Pursuing Careers in Science, Engineering, and Medicine: Proceedings of a Workshop. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/25849.
×

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This activity was supported by contracts between the National Academy of Sciences and the Aetna Foundation. Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this publication do not necessarily reflect the views of any organization or agency that provided support for the project.

International Standard Book Number-13: 978-0-309-67954-1
International Standard Book Number-10: 0-309-67954-0
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Suggested citation: National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2020. The Impacts of Racism and Bias on Black People Pursuing Careers in Science, Engineering, and Medicine. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. https://doi.org/10.17226/25849.

Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2020. The Impacts of Racism and Bias on Black People Pursuing Careers in Science, Engineering, and Medicine: Proceedings of a Workshop. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/25849.
×

Image

The National Academy of Sciences was established in 1863 by an Act of Congress, signed by President Lincoln, as a private, nongovernmental institution to advise the nation on issues related to science and technology. Members are elected by their peers for outstanding contributions to research. Dr. Marcia McNutt is president.

The National Academy of Engineering was established in 1964 under the charter of the National Academy of Sciences to bring the practices of engineering to advising the nation. Members are elected by their peers for extraordinary contributions to engineering. Dr. John L. Anderson is president.

The National Academy of Medicine (formerly the Institute of Medicine) was established in 1970 under the charter of the National Academy of Sciences to advise the nation on medical and health issues. Members are elected by their peers for distinguished contributions to medicine and health. Dr. Victor J. Dzau is president.

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Learn more about the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine at www.nationalacademies.org.

Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2020. The Impacts of Racism and Bias on Black People Pursuing Careers in Science, Engineering, and Medicine: Proceedings of a Workshop. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/25849.
×

Image

Consensus Study Reports published by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine document the evidence-based consensus on the study’s statement of task by an authoring committee of experts. Reports typically include findings, conclusions, and recommendations based on information gathered by the committee and the committee’s deliberations. Each report has been subjected to a rigorous and independent peer-review process and it represents the position of the National Academies on the statement of task.

Proceedings published by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine chronicle the presentations and discussions at a workshop, symposium, or other event convened by the National Academies. The statements and opinions contained in proceedings are those of the participants and are not endorsed by other participants, the planning committee, or the National Academies.

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Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2020. The Impacts of Racism and Bias on Black People Pursuing Careers in Science, Engineering, and Medicine: Proceedings of a Workshop. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/25849.
×

RACISM AND BIAS ACTION GROUP PLANNING COMMITTEE

CEDRIC BRIGHT (Co-chair), East Carolina University

CAMARA P. JONES (Co-chair), Morehouse School of Medicine

ANDRE L. CHURCHWELL, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine

CLYDE W. YANCY (NAM), Northwestern University

Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2020. The Impacts of Racism and Bias on Black People Pursuing Careers in Science, Engineering, and Medicine: Proceedings of a Workshop. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/25849.
×

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Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2020. The Impacts of Racism and Bias on Black People Pursuing Careers in Science, Engineering, and Medicine: Proceedings of a Workshop. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/25849.
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ROUNDTABLE ON BLACK MEN AND BLACK WOMEN IN SCIENCE, ENGINEERING, AND MEDICINE

CATO T. LAURENCIN (NAE/NAM)(Chair), University of Connecticut Health Center

OLUJIMI AJIJOLA, UCLA Medical Center

GILDA A. BARABINO (NAE), The City College of New York

CHARLES R. BRIDGES, JR., Janssen Research & Development, LLC

CEDRIC BRIGHT, East Carolina University

L.D. BRITT (NAM), Eastern Virginia Medical School

ANDRE L. CHURCHWELL, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine

THEODORE CORBIN, Drexel University

GEORGE Q. DALEY (NAM), Harvard Medical School

WAYNE FREDERICK, Howard University

PAULA T. HAMMOND (NAS/NAE/NAM), Massachusetts Institute of Technology

EVELYNN M. HAMMONDS (NAM), Harvard University

LYNNE M. HOLDEN, Montefiore Medical Center

CAMARA P. JONES, Morehouse School of Medicine

CORA BAGLEY MARRETT, University of Wisconsin-Madison

VALERIE MONTGOMERY RICE (NAM), Morehouse School of Medicine

RANDALL C. MORGAN, JR., W. Montague Cobb/National Medical Association

ELIZABETH O. OFILI (NAM), Morehouse School of Medicine

VIVIAN W. PINN (NAM), Senior Scientist Emerita, FIC, National Institutes of Health (Retired)

JOAN Y. REEDE (NAM), Harvard Medical School

LOUIS W. SULLIVAN (NAM), Morehouse School of Medicine

CLYDE W. YANCY (NAM), Northwestern University

MARK ALEXANDER (Ex Officio Member), 100 Black Men of America, Inc.

KIMBERLY BRYANT (Ex Officio Member), Black Girls CODE

GARTH N. GRAHAM (Ex Officio Member), Aetna Foundation

IAN HENRY (Ex Officio Member), Procter and Gamble Company

ORLANDO KIRTON (Ex Officio Member), Society of Black Academic Surgeons

Page viii Cite
Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2020. The Impacts of Racism and Bias on Black People Pursuing Careers in Science, Engineering, and Medicine: Proceedings of a Workshop. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/25849.
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JOHN R. LUMPKIN (NAM)(Ex Officio Member), Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina Foundation

SHIRLEY MALCOM (Ex Officio Member), American Association for the Advancement of Science

ALFRED MAYS (Ex Officio Member), Burroughs Wellcome Fund

LAMONT R. TERRELL (Ex Officio Member), GlaxoSmithKline

HANNAH VALANTINE (Ex Officio Member), Stanford University

Project Staff

REGINALD HAYES, Program Officer, Board on Higher Education and Workforce

TOM ARRISON, Program Director, Policy and Global Affairs

PAULA W. WHITACRE, Consultant Writer

Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2020. The Impacts of Racism and Bias on Black People Pursuing Careers in Science, Engineering, and Medicine: Proceedings of a Workshop. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/25849.
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Preface

It is an honor for me to serve as chair of the National Academies Roundtable on Black Men and Black Women in Science, Engineering, and Medicine, as well as serve as the editor of the first in a series of proceedings publications from the Roundtable. Our work began in 2015 when leaders of the W. Montague Cobb/National Medical Association Health Institute and I recognized the growing absence of Black men in medical schools. In fact, levels of Black men entering medical school reached an historic low in the 2015 and 2016 years. Starting in 2016, and with financial support from important partners such as the Aetna Foundation, the Burroughs Wellcome Fund, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, and the Connecticut Black and Puerto Rican Legislative Caucus, we began planning a National Academies workshop on issues surrounding the absence of Black men in medicine. The joint workshop entitled “The Growing Absence of Black Men in Medicine and Science” took place in 2017. It was historic, in that to my knowledge it was the first National Academies activity specifically focused on issues involving Black people. The proceedings is entitled An American Crisis: The Growing Absence of Black Men in Medicine and Science. It was released in May of 2018, and corresponded to a briefing on the subject of Black men and medicine with the Congressional Black Caucus in Washington, DC. Many of the ideas that emerged from the workshop have been embraced by academia, industry, and philanthropy. More needs to be done.

Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2020. The Impacts of Racism and Bias on Black People Pursuing Careers in Science, Engineering, and Medicine: Proceedings of a Workshop. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/25849.
×

Our next steps have involved the development of a more permanent presence in the National Academies to discuss issues surrounding Black men and Black women in science, engineering, and medicine. With support from our partners above, along with the Johnson and Johnson Company, the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, and the University of Pittsburgh—and with the continued leadership and commitment from Dr. Victor Dzau—president of the National Academy of Medicine, the Roundtable on Black Men and Black Women in Science, Engineering, and Medicine was launched late in 2018 as a joint activity of Policy and Global Affairs and the Health and Medicine Division. I am grateful to the steering committee members for the Roundtable: Drs. L.D. Britt, Cedric M. Bright, George Q. Daley, Randall C. Morgan Jr., Elizabeth Ofili, Vivian Pinn, and Louis Sullivan.

Our first formal meeting of the Roundtable took place in December 2019. It was decided that our first workshop should examine issues around racism and bias. Pernicious and pervasive, racism and bias in many ways serves as a backdrop to issues surrounding Black men and women in science, engineering, and medicine. I am grateful to the co-chairs of the workshop, Dr. Cedric Bright and Dr. Camara Jones. They expressly volunteered to take on our first Roundtable workshop, just 4 months after our first meeting and in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic in April 2020. The workshop was held a month before the death of George Floyd. The ideas and concepts emerging from the workshop are especially important in these times.

Cato T. Laurencin, M.D., Ph.D. (NAM/NAE)

University Professor, The University of Connecticut

Chair, Roundtable on Black Men and Black Women in Science, Engineering, and Medicine

Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2020. The Impacts of Racism and Bias on Black People Pursuing Careers in Science, Engineering, and Medicine: Proceedings of a Workshop. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/25849.
×

Acknowledgments

This Proceedings of a Workshop was prepared by the workshop editor and rapporteurs as a factual summary of what was presented and discussed at the workshop. The planning committee’s role was limited to planning and convening the workshop. The statements made are those of the editor and rapporteurs and do not necessarily represent positions of the workshop participants as a whole, the planning committee, or the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. We wish to extend sincere thanks to all the members of the planning committee for their contributions in scoping, developing, and carrying out this project.

This proceedings has been reviewed in draft form by individuals chosen for their diverse perspectives and technical expertise, in accordance with procedures approved by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. The purpose of this independent review is to provide candid and critical comments to assist the institution in making its published report as sound as possible and ensure the document meets institutional standards for quality and objectivity. The review comments and draft manuscript remain confidential to protect the integrity of the process. We wish to thank the following individuals for their review of this proceedings: Andre Churchwell, Vanderbilt University; Theodore Corbin, Drexel University; Samuel Mukasa, University of Minnesota; and Daryl Chubin, Independent Consultant. Although the reviewers listed above have provided many constructive comments and suggestions, they were not asked to endorse the content of the proceedings, nor did they see the final draft before its release.

Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2020. The Impacts of Racism and Bias on Black People Pursuing Careers in Science, Engineering, and Medicine: Proceedings of a Workshop. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/25849.
×

The review of this proceedings was overseen by Maxine Hayes, University of Washington (retired). Appointed by the National Academies, she was responsible for making certain that an independent examination of this proceedings was carried out in accordance with institutional procedures and that all review comments were carefully considered. Responsibility for the final content of this proceedings rests entirely with the rapporteurs and the institution.

Cedric M. Bright and Camara P. Jones

Co-chairs, Racism and Bias Action Group Planning Committee

Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2020. The Impacts of Racism and Bias on Black People Pursuing Careers in Science, Engineering, and Medicine: Proceedings of a Workshop. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/25849.
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Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2020. The Impacts of Racism and Bias on Black People Pursuing Careers in Science, Engineering, and Medicine: Proceedings of a Workshop. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/25849.
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Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2020. The Impacts of Racism and Bias on Black People Pursuing Careers in Science, Engineering, and Medicine: Proceedings of a Workshop. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/25849.
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Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2020. The Impacts of Racism and Bias on Black People Pursuing Careers in Science, Engineering, and Medicine: Proceedings of a Workshop. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/25849.
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Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2020. The Impacts of Racism and Bias on Black People Pursuing Careers in Science, Engineering, and Medicine: Proceedings of a Workshop. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/25849.
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Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2020. The Impacts of Racism and Bias on Black People Pursuing Careers in Science, Engineering, and Medicine: Proceedings of a Workshop. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/25849.
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Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2020. The Impacts of Racism and Bias on Black People Pursuing Careers in Science, Engineering, and Medicine: Proceedings of a Workshop. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/25849.
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Page viii Cite
Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2020. The Impacts of Racism and Bias on Black People Pursuing Careers in Science, Engineering, and Medicine: Proceedings of a Workshop. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/25849.
×
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Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2020. The Impacts of Racism and Bias on Black People Pursuing Careers in Science, Engineering, and Medicine: Proceedings of a Workshop. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/25849.
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Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2020. The Impacts of Racism and Bias on Black People Pursuing Careers in Science, Engineering, and Medicine: Proceedings of a Workshop. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/25849.
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Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2020. The Impacts of Racism and Bias on Black People Pursuing Careers in Science, Engineering, and Medicine: Proceedings of a Workshop. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/25849.
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Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2020. The Impacts of Racism and Bias on Black People Pursuing Careers in Science, Engineering, and Medicine: Proceedings of a Workshop. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/25849.
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Page xiii Cite
Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2020. The Impacts of Racism and Bias on Black People Pursuing Careers in Science, Engineering, and Medicine: Proceedings of a Workshop. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/25849.
×
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Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2020. The Impacts of Racism and Bias on Black People Pursuing Careers in Science, Engineering, and Medicine: Proceedings of a Workshop. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/25849.
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Page R14
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Despite the changing demographics of the nation and a growing appreciation for diversity and inclusion as drivers of excellence in science, engineering, and medicine, Black Americans are severely underrepresented in these fields. Racism and bias are significant reasons for this disparity, with detrimental implications on individuals, health care organizations, and the nation as a whole. The Roundtable on Black Men and Black Women in Science, Engineering, and Medicine was launched at the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine in 2019 to identify key levers, drivers, and disruptors in government, industry, health care, and higher education where actions can have the most impact on increasing the participation of Black men and Black women in science, medicine, and engineering.

On April 16, 2020, the Roundtable convened a workshop to explore the context for their work; to surface key issues and questions that the Roundtable should address in its initial phase; and to reach key stakeholders and constituents. This proceedings provides a record of the workshop.

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