We at Diabetes Education Services want to call attention to the importance of standing against racism in medicine.

As a business serving all people with a shared goal of trying to improve health, we have an obligation to advocate against racism in healthcare.

Diabetes disproportionally affects people of color and we encourage our community to take this Mindful Monday to reflect on the intersections of race and healthcare accessibility.

Make Your Voice Heard

For strategies to increase health access and promote equal care, the World Health Organization has established goals for system-wide changes to address barriers associated with racism.

Additionally, Harvard Health Publishing, recommends, as health care professionals, we can start by having honest conversations about race with our peers, policymakers, and communities.

“One of the first steps in addressing these issues is to make the general public, health care providers, insurance companies, and policymakers aware of these disparities and the public health consequences of them.

It is especially important for health care providers across the nation to be aware of the multiple biological, social, psychological, financial, and cultural factors that influence diabetes and other diseases, and to routinely take these into consideration when developing prevention and treatment programs for all groups” – Harvard Health Publishing.

For more ways to get involved, UCLA’s Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion department have created a list of Racial Trauma Resources, which they plan to continue updating over time.

As author and historian, Ibram X. Kendi states, there is no such thing as being “not racist.” In his vital conversation in his TED TALK, How to Build an Antiracist World, he defines the transformative concept of antiracism to help us more clearly recognize, takes responsibility for, and reject prejudices in our public policies, workplaces, and personal beliefs. He encourages us to learn how you can actively use this awareness to uproot injustice and inequality in the world — and replace it with love.

Become an ADA Advocate

Elevate your voice and expertise in the field by Becoming an Advocate with the ADA. You can sign up by clicking here and to read more about ADA recommendations for becoming a Diabetes Advocate, click here.

Written by Bryanna, our Director of Operations & Customer Happiness

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