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Employee grassroot efforts to end structural racism at the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Nature Medicine volume 28, pages 220–221 (2022)Cite this article

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To the Editor — On 19 June 2020 (known as Juneteenth), following the civil unrest arising out of the murder of George Floyd and the healthcare inequities highlighted by the COVID-19 (ref. 1) pandemic, a group of concerned staff within the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) initiated a series of discussions to share thoughts and perspectives on these dual pandemics of COVID-19 and racism.

The discussions afforded employees the opportunity to voice their concerns about the CDC’s perceived lack of attention to these critical issues. The conversation quickly transitioned from listening sessions to calls for action as questions emerged. Why focus on racism? Why not focus on discrimination, diversity and inclusion? Would focusing on African American employees negate the challenges faced by other marginalized groups? Would the term racism dissuade management’s cooperation? How could this group change deeply embedded systems of structural racism that have existed at the CDC for decades, and in our nation since its inception? Will calls for change result in management retaliation2?

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References

  1. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report Vol. 69, No. 33 (CDC, 2020).

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Acknowledgements

The authors sincerely thank the following groups for their support, input and collaboration: the Latino–Hispanic Action Group; the American Indian, Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Association; the Asian American and Pacific Islander Association; the Disabilities Interest Group; the Friends of the 7 Acts; and the countless supporters of 7 Acts who remain anonymous to protect their livelihood from backlash and retaliation. The findings and conclusions in this report are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official position of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention or the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Atlanta, GA, USA

    Christopher S. Parker, Termika N. Smith, Paul R. Young, Trista Bingham, Lumbé Davis & Eboni Galloway

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  1. Christopher S. Parker
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  2. Termika N. Smith
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  3. Paul R. Young
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  4. Trista Bingham
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  6. Eboni Galloway
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Contributions

C.S.P., T.N.S. and P.R.Y. prepared the manuscript, with help from T.B., L.D. and E.G. All authors have reviewed and approve of this submission.

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Correspondence to Christopher S. Parker.

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The authors declare no competing interests.

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Parker, C.S., Smith, T.N., Young, P.R. et al. Employee grassroot efforts to end structural racism at the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Nat Med 28, 220–221 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41591-021-01642-w

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