Statement On Racism In America
Jun 02, 2020
By: ASRM
Origin: ASRM Announcement
Like many of you, we have watched with a mixture of shock and sadness the coverage of the murder of George Floyd at the hands of law enforcement personnel, and the protests that have followed. While we do not condone violence, we empathize with the anger and frustration being expressed by many in the face of the racism persistent in our nation today. Racism and bigotry that has been poisoning our country for far too long.
At the American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM), we are strongly and passionately committed to promoting diversity within our own membership and leadership, and to promoting access to quality reproductive care for all patients without regard to race or ethnicity. We know that not only does racism interfere with the ability of individuals to access proper and equal medical care, but it also represents a pervasive barrier to educational, economic, and social success.
As codified in our mission and values statement, ASRM is an organization that values and prioritizes integrity and inclusivity. As part of our continued and unambiguous commitment to diversity and inclusivity we are establishing a Task Force to address and produce tangible recommendations on how to best address the health disparities and the non-inclusivity in our field and organization.
The ASRM values inclusion and diversity in all aspects of our interactions. For our members, patients, leaders, employees, and programming. As part of the global community, we cannot divorce ourselves from the reality that many of our members and patients are facing today. Nor would we want to.
Sincerely,
Catherine Racowsky, Ph.D.
ASRM President
Ricardo Azziz, M.B.A., M.D., M.P.H.
ASRM CEO