What do you see as your role in antiracism?

“Antiracism is a really broad enterprise, and there are so many ways to get involved. Right now, my role is to highlight the ways in which racism has been embedded into our research and into the practice of epidemiology. I am identifying key mechanisms on how structural racism impacts health, and am advocating for measures that can promote equitable outcomes. Part of that involves taking a community-centered approach, which means involving residents, local leaders, and other groups, receiving their perspectives, and utilizing them to make real, tangible changes in our communities.”

How do you maintain resilience through difficult, unjust things?

“I have experienced burnout at different moments of my life and career. No one can deconstruct racism by themselves — our ancestors have been fighting this fight, and we continue to fight together. But sometimes, you really need a break! Challenging racism can be emotionally and physically laborious, and it is important to tap in and out with colleagues so you can have the capacity to keep going. That’s one way we can practice collective care. Recovering from burnout should also include ways to build joy, and that is why song, music, and other artforms are key parts of this movement!

With this in mind, it is important to remember that resilience is just one part of this work. It is insufficient and unfair to say, ‘let’s make you all impervious to all of the unjust things in the world.’ We can take steps to mitigate and repair from the impacts of racism while also taking steps to tackle the root causes of racism. We can and are doing both.” 

What challenges do you face in prioritizing antiracist efforts?

“It is always challenging to operate contrary to the way a system is designed to work. Part of working in academia means that I am going to move at a slower pace than those in community-led movements. But this is how I am participating in this work, and that is why it is important for me to maintain relationships with people on the ground. Part of antiracism is knowing how to disrupt and to what degree; it is about finding the right decision-making points.”

What antiracist change have you been excited to see happen at SPH the past few years, if any? What change do you think we need to see at SPH?

“I haven’t been here long enough to see full changes, but going from one academic institution to another, I can see a comprehensive infrastructure and continued investment in DEI and antiracism here that is lacking at other places. There is a real attempt here to stay committed. That being said, I think there needs to be a greater emphasis on integrating these values into our curriculum. Those changes will recruit and entice more students to come to our school, and we will be able to continue organizing within.”

What impact do you think the school can have on racism?

“We have the potential to be leaders in antiracism, especially given the interdisciplinary nature of this work. There are so many people, resources, and research that can be harnessed to better address injustice. And public health has always been a political enterprise. How we spend our money, who we work with, the development of medications, the distribution of vaccinations, access to care, ways of eating, ways of being; these all exist in the realm of power and justice. So getting many different actors involved will be crucial to address all of these political factors.”

What is the most important ingredient for culture change in our school and as a community?

“The most important ingredient to culture change is critical thinking. We all make countless decisions on a regular basis, and that means we can make the decision to act, to question, to rethink, and to redesign. The consequences to those decisions will shape our future. If we get comfortable in the way things have been, we will become stagnant; it requires a collective effort to change. Specifically, that collective effort means that we need to become more centralized as a school. The divisions need to connect, and our leadership needs to continue championing these efforts and ensure that we all fall in line with them.”