On May 27, 2020, Tony McDade was shot by a police officer.
On May 25, 2020, George Floyd was murdered by a white police officer.
On March 13, 2020, Breonna Taylor was shot by white police officers.
On February 23, 2020, Ahmaud Arbery was shot while jogging by two white residents.
May they rest in power.
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George, Breonna, Ahmaud, and Tony would not have been murdered if not for the Blackness of their skin and a society that oppresses their freedom and opportunities. They are not the only ones. We mourn the loss of countless others and acknowledge the lack of media attention drawn to Black queer and trans people whose names and lives are in need in of further amplification. Our hearts go out to all Black, African-American, African Diaspora, and mixed-Black FGLIMed communities, their families, friends, and loved ones. We condemn all acts of brutality on our Black family, witnessed and unwitnessed. In the setting of COVID-19 where Black lives are lost by the pervasive systemic racism in our nation, we recognize that it is not enough to write a statement condemning systemic racism. We will work towards dismantling the systems of oppression and violence that robs our Black, African-American, African Diaspora, and mixedBlack family and friends of their lives.
As a national association of medical professionals and trainees, we must elevate the health and safety of Black people. We need to do better by no longer tolerating, in any form, this unjust system and by actively fighting against it to dismantle it. This will require constant vigilance and action, both within ourselves and in the activities of life that surround us. FGLIMed commits to doing this work. In the spirit of healing, we urge the coming together of members of our community to strive towards non-optical allyship to support our Black brethren who are hurting. Make yourself heard however you can with your time, resources, privilege, and money. Petition, donate, support, and continue to educate yourself. We are a community, and together we stand in solidarity with those who are Black, African-American, and of the African Diaspora.
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