Leadership statement on George Floyd

Posted Sunday, May 31, 2020, Office for Health Equity, Diversity and Inclusion

Dear Colleagues,

Several days ago, George Floyd was killed by police officers. This was not long after the killings of Ahmaud Arbery, who was chased and gunned down while jogging, and Breonna Taylor, who was shot and killed by police in her own home. These are tragic examples of an ongoing epidemic that is killing African Americans and other people of color: racism.

Violence is a leading cause of death for African Americans. A recent study published in the American Journal of Public Health showed that African Americans, American Indians, and Alaska Natives were three times more likely to be killed by law enforcement than whites, confirming similar studies conducted in the early 2000s. Another study by Dr. Siegel and colleagues published in the Journal of the National Medical Association found that the greater the structural racism, including racial segregation, economic disparities, education and employment disparities, the more likely it is that unarmed African American people will be killed by police compared to white people.

Let us work together to be upstanders for positive change, foster strong police accountability, and address the structural racism that underlies this health and public health crisis.

The disparities between African Americans and whites are stark. African Americans are more likely to encounter barriers to obtaining health care and the quality of such health care is significantly lower than that of whites. The African American infant mortality rate is twice that of white infants, and African Americans are more likely to die of cancer, heart disease, and many other chronic illnesses due to these barriers. Addressing these inequities is core to our mission as members of the health care community.

Chancellor May reflected earlier this week that “higher education can be that positive influence on lives beyond an education” and that “perhaps we can create a way forward.” And he called on us “to do what you can to eliminate racism, sexism, and other negative influences on our progression as a nation.” As educators, researchers, and health care providers, his call resonates deeply with us. We’ve seen the devastation of violence in our emergency rooms, hospitals, and clinics. We’ve struggled to help victims and their families bear the lifelong physical, emotional, and spiritual wounds that result. We applaud UC Davis Police Chief Farrow’s commitment to “train and demand that our officers do much better” and we are prepared to help him follow through on that commitment.

But better training for officers will not be enough, just as better training for health care professionals has its limits. Research shows that we need to address the underlying social determinants like education, poverty, and employment. The same determinants that put African Americans at greater risk for dying from cancer and heart disease put African Americans at greater risk for dying by police violence.

Let us stand in solidarity and put the weight of our university and health system community behind Chancellor May’s call. Let us work together to be upstanders for positive change, foster strong police accountability, and address the structural racism that underlies this health and public health crisis. For more information and resources, or to request a healing circle, please contact the Office of Health Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion at hs-hedi@ucdavis.edu.

David A. Lubarsky, M.D., M.B.A.
Vice Chancellor of Human Health Sciences and CEO for UC Davis Health

Hendry Ton, M.D., M.S.
Associate Vice Chancellor for Health Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion

Allison Brashear, M.D., M.B.A.
Dean, UC Davis School of Medicine

Stephen Cavanagh, PhD, MPA, RN, FACHE, FAAN
Dean, Betty Irene Moore School of Nursing at UC Davis