Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Council

 

Statement from the Duke Eye Center Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Committee

Dear friends and colleagues,

We stand together in solidarity with the black community, the marginalized, the disenfranchised, and with everyone working towards racial equality and justice for all. In memory of not just Mr. George Floyd, Ms. Breonna Taylor, and Mr. Ahmaud Arbery, but also so many others who do not have a voice or who are feeling grief, anger, confusion, sadness, fear, and helplessness, we want you to know that you are not alone.

Discrimination takes on many forms. It is our responsibility to society, our Duke Family, and ourselves to acknowledge and recognize its abhorrent existence. We cannot remain silent. Inaction is unacceptable in the fight against systematic sources of racism, prejudice, bigotry, and inequality. However, society cannot be changed overnight. Both individual initiatives and collective efforts endorsed by our organization are needed for that change to happen.

We appreciate and acknowledge that individuals are at various stages in their journey to understand their own biases, which can be unconscious or unintentional, and that racism can stem from social and institutional powers as well as individual feelings of racial prejudice.  We are committed to identifying, discussing and challenging issues of race, color, and ethnicity, and the impact(s) they have on the wellbeing and future of our patients, trainees, staff, and faculty.

To that end, as we continue our collective efforts to create a center of healing, we are asking everyone at the Duke Eye Center to share their feelings in their own words, and to speak up for the voiceless and for the rights of all in our society. We are inviting you to share your own experiences, comments, and/or concerns with us.  Your response will be confidential. Our goal is collect this information, create a word cloud representing our department and to continue the dialogue on areas in need of further improvement.

Below please find a link to the Project Implicit – Implicit bias test. We encourage you to explore these tests, designed to “measure attitudes and beliefs that people may be unwilling or unable to report”.

Professor of Ophthalmology
Professor of Ophthalmology
Ophthalmic Technician
Human Resources Manager
Assistant Professor of Ophthalmology
Director, Marketing and Communications, Vice Chair of Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Council
Division Chief - Glaucoma
Vice Chair - Equity, Diversity and Inclusion
Occupational Therapist
Assistant Professor of Ophthalmology
Associate Professor of Ophthalmology
Associate Professor of Ophthalmology
Vice Chair - Basic Science Research
Division Chief - Oculofacial And Orbital Surgery
Division Chief - Ocular Oncology