Jun 19
NEOMED and Other Portage County Organizations Address Racism
As protests continue to take place throughout the nation — including Portage County, where Northeast Ohio Medical University is located — organizations are working to address and end racism.
A recent Record-Courier article credits NEOMED with delivering one of the earliest institutional responses in Portage County, when President John T. Langell, M.D., Ph.D., M.P.H., M.B.A., spoke candidly to the NEOMED community during his weekly campus update about the events in Minneapolis and throughout our country. His message called on the NEOMED community to stand up, act and reaffirm its commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion.
In a statement to the NEOMED community, President Langell shared, “To say that racism is not a public health crisis in the US and worldwide would be a complete disservice to the impact that it has had. There is a huge amount of data and literature from valid scientific research showing that it’s a critical social determinant of health.”
The University also recently hosted “Stand Up and Fight for the Safety and Wellness of our Diverse Community,” a forum that was not only designed to engage in honest conversations about racism, but also aimed to establish purposeful actions that can bring positive change to all systems that play a role in the racist activities and negative interactions that many black and brown people encounter.
