The Council of Young Filipinx Americans in Medicine (CYFAM) stands with the Black community against the historic police violence and systemic racism recently highlighted by the senseless killings of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, and many others. We stand in solidarity with the Black community to unequivocally assert that the lives of the Black community matter. As many Black activists have fought for Filipinx rights, we too in “pakikipagkapwa” or “fellowship” must amplify the voices of the Black community and take action against the community’s struggles.
As physicians and physicians-in-training, we cannot stay silent in this struggle when social inequities exacerbated by the coronavirus pandemic disproportionately affect the Black community and communities of color. We acknowledge that the systems that cause police brutality and anti-Black violence are based on historic policy decisions and are the same systems that allow current coronavirus pandemic inequities. Systemic structural racism and police violence are indeed public health crises that require urgent change by our medical and political institutions.
We recognize that the Filipinx community must face complacency and discomfort with introspection and outreach. We also recognize that this is a movement, not a moment. We vow to keep each other accountable moving forward, beginning with the following commitments:
Commitments:
CYFAM will critically examine and call out the damaging effects of anti-Black racism and Filipinx complacency.
CYFAM will equip its members on how to confront anti-Black racism in their daily lives and clinical practice for the betterment of our community as well. We will implement microintervention workshops to benefit our communities
CYFAM will compile community resources about the history of Filipinx-Black solidarity and the health effects of racism.
CYFAM will highlight relevant policy issues related to anti-Black racism and Filipinx racial inequalities in medicine in preparation for our first annual conference in October 2020 and the November 2020 National Election.
Here are resources that can support the Black community:
Click here to register to vote through FilAm Vote: https://naffaa.org/filamvote/
In Solidarity,
Council of Young Filipinx Americans in Medicine (CYFAM)