Community Support, Partnerships, and Inclusive Environments for Black Students and Professionals in Science, Engineering, and Medicine: Proceedings of a Workshop (2024)

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Individual-Centered Support

A part of all workshops facilitated by the Roundtable on Black Men and Black Women in Science, Engineering, and Medicine is the opportunity to hear directly from students. In this panel, moderator Vivian Pinn, M.D. (retired, National Institutes of Health) spoke with students Michael Denning, Jr. (East Carolina University [ECU]), LaShyra “Lash” Nolen (Harvard Medical School), and Ashley Walker (Howard University; BlackInChem/Black In Astro). Cedric Bright, M.D. (ECU) also shared his perspective on how ECU’s Brody School of Medicine is centered on the needs of students, and particularly Black students. Dr. Pinn asked the presenters to consider how to build psychological support, build resiliency, design adequate individual-focused retention strategies, and create an environment of belonging.

STUDENT-CENTERED POLICIES AND PRACTICES

Dr. Bright described the program at Brody School of Medicine, where he serves as dean. Having been involved in admissions for 18 years, he commented that it is important not only to bring students into a program but also to ensure they are successful. He recalled that when he was in medical school, the experiences of Black and white colleagues were very different. “We [Black medical students] often felt like we were alone. We didn’t go through [medical school] as a collective, and we didn’t have people to talk about these experiences that could give us perspective.” Beyond resilience, he said, Blacks in America need to develop grit—“that passion, that determination, that long-term view that recognizes the need for short-term sacrifice.”

To build this support, ECU is developing a wrap-around process for students from the time they enter medical school. This includes a buddy system in which first-year students are paired with second-year students and creation of an Office of Student Success and Wellness. Rather than label students and say they will not succeed, the office works together with students, so they do not feel alone. An important piece, he stressed, is to have the resources so there are enough people working in such an office to handle the demand. Faculty also have to believe in the process and stop any microaggressions. Counselors are needed who understand racialized stress and different students’ needs, especially Black students who do not feel they belong at school, back home, or in the workforce. Dr. Pinn observed that minority faculty may be affected by some of these same challenges, especially when there is only one or very few minority faculty members in a department or at an institution.

Mr. Denning, a second-year Brody medical student, shared that his background before entering medical school was in business and public health, which makes him look at things structurally and also look at money. Students must be supported across the continuum, he stated, to encompass structure and people, finances, and policy. “Here at Brody, we talk a lot about our mission,” which is to increase the supply of primary care physicians serving the state, improve the health status of eastern North Carolina’s residents, and enhance access of minority and disadvantaged students to a medical education. It is helpful to refer to the mission, especially its third prong, when looking for ways to support students of color. A big part is finances. Brody is known as one of the most cost-efficient medical schools, which alleviates some of the stress related to cost. Financial aid resources are available, from both the institution and the state.

Mr. Denning also pointed to Brody’s Justice, Equity, Diversity, Inclusion (JEDI) Office that provides continuous, focused, and empathetic leadership; community-based, data-driven approaches; and institutional financial support. He noted that offices like JEDI are important at medical schools, but they must have the money to operate and engage students.

Another important aspect is a school’s polices. Several working groups have involved students, faculty, staff, and leadership to look at Brody’s policies and procedures to see how they can be more student centered and equitable. Many were originally developed from a logistic, not student-wellness, perspective, he commented. While they may work for 85 percent of students, it is important to consider the remaining 15 percent of students, who may more likely be minority students, disadvantaged students, students who have children, or have other circumstances. Procedures were related to (1) pass/fail grading architecture, (2) flexible quizzes, (3) student promotion and review, (4) quiz grading and analysis, (5) make-up assessments, (6) academic achievement program progression, and (7) attendance policy. “Even though we are in medical school, life is still occurring,” Mr. Denning commented. These policies need to be designed so that students do not have to leave medical school for a family situation. He also noted the importance of building connections with the broader community. For example, a local nonprofit came in to share perspectives about the challenges of migrant workers in the area.

“WE GOT US”

Ms. Nolan described a program she created in 2021 when COVID-19 vaccines were being rolled out. She recalled that when her family and friends

were wondering about the vaccines’ safety, she recognized her privilege as a Black woman in medicine to understand the science behind the vaccine. She reflected on the framing that the Black community is vaccine hesitant, but “it was never a conversation about equity.” In other words, the conversation was not about “the lack of trusted messengers to communities and how to make sure the vaccine is getting to underserved and marginalized communities.”

We Got Us is a grassroots, community organization in Boston, Massachusetts, that includes community members and students from high school to medical school committed to going into the community and having conversations about the vaccine.¹ Sustainability was a top priority from the start. “It is easy as part of the academy to do community outreach,” she commented. “The community comes to depend on that support, but we may be on to the next thing once we have published that paper.” We Got Us is moving from conversations about vaccine equity to other issues.

Ms. Nolan also stressed that community outreach needs to be incentivized in academic medicine. Students and mentors involved in this work do not receive the same academic currency as those who are in labs. Both benchwork and community work should be valued, for example, in finding a cure for Alzheimer’s disease and going out to talk to people about that cure and access to health care. “We need to see a shift and think about this for faculty promotion and when students apply to residency programs,” she said. While the community has to be at the center of what is done, “in order to advance our careers in a meaningful way, the academy has to start to appreciate what we are bringing to the table.”

Ms. Nolan developed the name of the organization to promote the idea of coming together and banding as a community during a difficult time. She and other students were already linked with several community groups and worked with them to launch We Got Us. “You need a community advocate,” she commented. “Otherwise, it would have been more difficult.”

BLACKINCHEM/BLACK IN ASTRO

Moving from medical settings, Ms. Walker, a doctoral student at Howard University, began by talking about partnerships between Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and Predominantly White Institutions (PWIs). She urged paying attention to ensure that

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¹ For more information, see https://www.wegotusproject.org.

HBCUs benefit and that the PWI is not just “checking off a box.” She also noted that some academic departments at HBCUs have few Black faculty or other faculty of color.

Ms. Walker explained the “Black in X” Movement. It began with #BlackandSTEM, an online community founded in 2015 by Dr. Stephani Page. Ms. Walker welcomed its trail-blazing and open-armed character when she became involved in the community. With the 2020 awakening, more than 80 Black grassroots communities, nonprofits, and activities began, including Black Birders Week, Black In Astro Week, Black Chemists Week, and Black In Neuro Week. They provide community and help people who are the “only ones” in their institutions to have someone to go to.

Given the gaps in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM), there is a continued need for these communities, Ms. Walker asserted. Seven percent of Black scholars have STEM bachelor’s degrees, and they often do not go further in their studies because they do not have the resources. The Black in X movement is helping them find resources. In her own field of astronomy, she noted there are only 24 Black/African American women with doctorates in the United States. Among them, three were the first African American women to receive doctorates in astronomy at their institutions: Jamila Pegues, Harvard University; Moiya McTier, Columbia University; and Sinclaire Manning, University of Texas at Austin. “They are trailblazing for all of us; however, we are guiding each other because there are very few of us.”

Black in X groups, including BlackInChem and Black In Astro, have members around the world. As examples of activity, BlackInChem now offers a postdoctoral fellowship in partnership with the Emerald Foundation. Black In Astro provides travel grants for students and faculty to attend conferences.² Other partners include the Ohio State University, American Chemical Society, and Royal Society of Chemistry in the United Kingdom.

DISCUSSION AND FINAL THOUGHTS

Elaborating on her earlier comments about the importance of sustainability, Ms. Nolan said We Got Us was very intentional about not being a Harvard Medical School initiative. “I am a proud student, but that can also be a turn-off at community events. I show up as a community member like

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² For more information, see https://blackinchem.org and https://www.blackinastro.com.

everyone else. We value the expertise of the community. We learn about heart disease in the community, not just in the classroom.”

Dr. Pinn asked Dr. Bright about building resilience and mental health for faculty. Faculty development is usually directed toward scholarship, not personal development, he acknowledged. Tools are needed for faculty to understand their own personal biases and blind spots, which are human to have. As an example, the new diversity leader at Brody convened a program for Eid al-Fitr, the end of Ramadan, which was the first time the school acknowledged the holiday and Muslim students, staff, and local residents as a community. “Diversity is about everybody,” he said. “It takes a lot of work. We have to work with faculty and staff.”

Dr. Pinn suggested that part of improvement is not to repeat negative previous experiences. She related that one reason she spends so much time mentoring is because when she was the only woman in her medical school class, the one female full professor would not help her or female nursing students. She urged the students and other workshop participants to “take note of what seems negative and do not repeat those mistakes. And what is good, duplicate.”

Ms. Nolan commented about starting new collaborations. The key is to think about intentions before going into a community, she said. In the case of We Got Us, one of the most important pillars is to “convey information, not convince.” She explained that this came from community members, who said that “everyone is trying to convince us to get the vaccine without dialogue.” Community members were involved at the outset.

To balance the time demands of community work with academics, Ms. Walker said some professors initially advised her not to get too involved in nonclass activities. However, she noted that articulating what students need has been integral in her own education, and she has seen that her input has helped professors shape how they educate and interact with students. Mr. Denning shared that he brings a public health mindset to community work: ask a question, support with data, then involve partners. When asked about paying community members for their participation, Ms. Walker said, “Black people are expected to be at the center of EDI work for free; we want to make sure we pay our community members for their experience. We as Black people have this issue all the time—I don’t want us to continue the generational cycle of unpaid labor.”

Workshop committee co-chair Dr. Shirley Malcom (American Association for the Advancement of Science) said she felt inspired by the students. Thinking back to the volunteer work she did in college, she

recalled it gave her inner strength to keep going. Mr. Denning said everyone has a purpose on Earth, and for him, it is to be an advocate for himself and others. Ms. Walker concurred that the work gives her happiness and satisfaction. Ms. Nolan shared that work in the community makes her feel “like I am at home. It helps bring purpose to the science and medicine that I learn. If I did medical school without it, I would feel empty.” Dr. Pinn strongly agreed that academic institutions must recognize the currency of community health programs and consider service as a criterion for promotion. She also commented that the students are seeing a need and taking action. “What is exciting is we did not hear ‘this is what you need to do,’ we heard ‘this is what we are doing.’”

Asked by Dr. Pinn for closing thoughts, Mr. Denning stressed the importance of having money, people, culture, and policies in place, and continuing to ask questions. Ms. Nolan said, “We should continue to be proud of and uplift our institutions, but we should push academic medicine to uphold the ideals that they claim. I think if we work together to do that, we will always end up in the right place.” Ms. Walker added, “We should always continue to push and support grassroots organizations to make sure they are intertwined with academia, industry, and Black communities.”

Dr. Bright urged, “We have to use the process of tenure and promotion to further embed diversity.” Brody just added EDI as part of the package that a faculty member must demonstrate. To the students, he said, “You already are exhibiting one of my favorite quotations, ‘what you are about is not what you gather, but what you scatter.’ You are scattering seeds that will be great trees in the future. Keep up the great work.” Dr. Malcom lauded the talent and initiative of the students. She added that it is important to change structures so that what they and others are doing is “value added and not gap filling.”

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