URMC medical students participate in national action: #WhiteCoats4BlackLives

<p>On Wednesday, December 10, 2014, University of Rochester Medical Center medical students participated in a nation-wide action calling for die-ins and protests because #BlackLivesMatter. The die-ins and demonstrations happened at&nbsp; more than 70 medical schools to protest the "lack of indictments for police killings in Ferguson, Mo., and New York, and to spotlight racial bias as a public health issue," according to a press release from Physicians for a National Health Program.</p><p>#WhiteCoats4BlackLives came together at the University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry seemingly over night according to Emily Walters, a third year medical student.</p><p>"On Facebook yesterday I saw someone at a different school post about this med student die-in. I clicked on the link to see what it said. It said that there were over 50 schools and Rochester wasn't on the list, which was surprising to me because we are--I feel like as a school our culture is very committed to social justice--the administration is very supportive of social justice," Walters said. "We started posting about it on social media and there was such a huge need for it by students that it came together really easily. A few posts on social media, a couple of emails, and the passion of the students," and #WhiteCoats4BlackLives materialized on campus happening that day at noon with over 70 students participating in the die-in.</p><p>The <a href="http://www.pnhp.org/news/2014/december/medical-students-to-hold-nationwide-%E2%80%98die-ins%E2%80%99-and-protests-wednesday-because-blac">national call-out was endorsed by</a> Students for a National Health Program, part of Physicians for a National Health Program ( <a href="https://mail.uphs.upenn.edu/owa/redir.aspx?C=B0JIM9t1cEi3_Ll-tSMwnrDnqBrt5tEIJMigiFJgyS9oDaFz7BbIxTYrvQk2ICSvN9haztyG8mQ.&amp;URL=http%3a%2f%2fwww.pnhp.org"> www.pnhp.org </a> ), an organization more 19,000 physicians, health professionals, medical and health professional students who advocate for universal, single-payer, improved Medicare for all.</p><p>Nationally, the die-ins happened around 3pm. However, in Rochester, they happened at noon. According to the <a href="https://www.facebook.com/events/1522786737975023/?ref=br_tf">Facebook event page</a>, "<span class="fsl">Our event will take place at noon in order to accommodate the schedules of our medical students. Our advisory deans encourage students who are currently scheduled for advisory dean lunch but who wish to participate in this event to participate in this event and then attend advisory dean lunch afterwards."</span></p><p>During the die-in, Michael Seaberry, a first year medical student, read a piece he had recently written regarding the death of his father, a police officer, and the non-indictments of killer cops, Darren Wilson &amp; Daniel Pantaleo. "I wrote this piece, then ironically, about a week later, the grand jury announcements were made about not indicting officer Wilson in Ferguson. So I tweaked it a little bit to go more along with the things that have happened to me by police officers--like being pulled over at gun point for no apparent reason at all by three police cars--which was very scary," Seaberry said. "My dad, being a police officer, I sort of see both parallels; I really trust police officers because that's what my dad was, and I'm also afraid of police officers in a sense, because of the things that have been going on and because I'm a young, black male."</p><p>"We as medical students feel that this is an important time for medical institutions to respond to the violence and race-related trauma that affect our communities and the patients we serve," states the press release. "Racial bias and violence are not exclusively a problem of the criminal justice system. As we have seen in Ferguson, Mo., New York, and countless other places, bias kills, sickens, and provides inadequate care. As medical students, we must take a stand against the oppression of our black and brown patients, colleagues, friends, and family. By standing together at medical schools nationwide, we hope to demonstrate that the medical student community views racial violence as a public health crisis. We are #whitecoats4blacklives."</p><p><strong>Watch Rochester's action below:</strong></p><p>[[{"type":"media","view_mode":"drupalimc_large","fid":"11093","attributes":{"alt":"","class":"media-image","typeof":"foaf:Image"}}]]</p><p><!--break--></p><p>A list of medical schools that participated in the action including but not limited to:<br>Albany Medical College, Albany &nbsp;<br>Albert Einstein College of Medicine, New York<br>Boston University School of Medicine, Boston<br>Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland<br>Charles R. Drew/UCLA Medical Education Program, Los Angeles<br>Chicago Medical School, Rosalind Franklin University, Chicago<br>Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York<br>Cooper Medical School of Rowan University, Camden<br>Dartmouth Geisel School of Medicine, Hanover<br>David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles<br>Duke University School of Medicine, Durham<br>Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta<br>Frank H. Netter School of Medicine at Quinnipiac, North Haven<br>George Washington School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Washington, D.C.<br>Harvard Medical School, Boston<br>Howard University College of Medicine, Washington DC<br>Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York<br>Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore<br>Keck School of Medicine of USC, Los Angeles<br>Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine, Chicago<br>Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee<br>Meharry Medical College, Nashville<br>Michigan State University College of Human Medicine, East Lansing<br>Morehouse School of Medicine, Atlanta<br>New York Medical College, Valhalla<br>New York University School of Medicine, New York<br>Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago<br>Ohio State University College of Medicine, Columbus<br>Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia<br>Pritzker School of Medicine, University of Chicago, Chicago<br>Rush Medical College, Chicago<br>Rutgers New Jersey Medical School, Newark<br>Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, New Brunswick<br>Southern Illinois University School of Medicine, Springfield<br>Saint Louis University School of Medicine, St. Louis<br>Sidney Kimmel Medical College at Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia<br>Stony Brook University School of Medicine, Stony Brook<br>SUNY Downstate College of Medicine, Brooklyn<br>Temple University School of Medicine, Philadelphia<br>Texas College of Osteopathic Medicine, Fort Worth<br>Touro University California College of Medicine, Vallejo<br>Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston<br>Tulane University School of Medicine, New Orleans<br>University at Buffalo School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Buffalo<br>University of Arizona College of Medicine, Phoenix<br>University of Arizona College of Medicine, Tucson<br>University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences College of Medicine, Little Rock<br>University of California Davis School of Medicine, Sacramento<br>University of California, San Diego School of Medicine, San Diego<br>University of California at San Francisco School of Medicine, San Francisco<br>University of California, Irvine School of Medicine, Irvine<br>University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati<br>University of Illinois College of Medicine, Chicago<br>University of Illinois College of Medicine at Urbana Champaign, Urbana<br>University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore<br>University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester<br>University of Medicine and Health Sciences, St. Kitts<br>University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami<br>University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor<br>University of Minnesota Medical School, Minneapolis<br>University of New England College of Osteopathic Medicine, Biddeford<br>University of North Carolina School of Medicine, Chapel Hill<br>University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh<br>University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, Rochester, N.Y.<br>University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston<br>University of Texas Southwestern Medical School, Dallas<br>University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville<br>Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine, Richmond<br>Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem<br>Warren Alpert Medical School at Brown University, Providence<br>Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis<br>Weill Cornell Medical College, New York<br>Yale School of Medicine, New Haven<br>&nbsp;</p><p><strong>Photos from action: </strong><a href="http://rochester.indymedia.org/node/104358">photos from White Coats for Black Lives @ URMC</a></p><p>&nbsp;</p><p><strong>Related Information:</strong> <a href="http://rochester.indymedia.org/node/104366">A walkthrough of Vonderrit Myers' killing</a> |<a href="http://rochester.indymedia.org/node/104364"> "The Whole Damn System is Guilty!" From Rochester to Ferguson -- a community report back</a> | <a href="http://rochester.indymedia.org/node/104339">No Justice, No Peace--a response to the non-indictment of Darren Wilson</a> |<strong> </strong><a href="http://rochester.indymedia.org/node/104308">Black Lives Matter March &amp; Rally @ UR: a response to the Ferguson grand jury decision</a> |<a href="http://rochester.indymedia.org/node/104299"> Ferguson Response Press Conference hosted by UCLM &amp; CPR</a> |<a href="http://rochester.indymedia.org/node/104294"> Spontaneous protest in response to Wilson non-indictment</a> | <a href="http://rochester.indymedia.org/node/104290">Ferguson Revolutionary Community Organizers Speak!</a> | <span class="a" style="left:1814px;top:561px"><a href="http://www.scribd.com/doc/248115932/The-Results-Are-in-Open-Letter-11-24-14">The Results Are In: An Open Letter from Protestors on the Grand Jury Decision (11.24.14)</a> |</span><a href="http://rochester.indymedia.org/node/104274"> Huey Jakhi on the role of women in the movement</a> |<a href="http://rochester.indymedia.org/node/104273"> Huey Jakhi speaking on "a real dirty devil" in St Louis</a><strong> </strong>| <a href="http://rochester.indymedia.org/node/104272">Huey Jakhi on life, liberation, and oppressive systems</a> | <a href="http://rochester.indymedia.org/node/104263">Reign on white supremacy and police in St. Louis</a> | <a href="http://rochester.indymedia.org/node/104261">Revolutionary community organizer Reign speaks!</a> | <a href="http://rochester.indymedia.org/node/104253">The Injustice Freak Show</a> | <a href="http://rochester.indymedia.org/node/104229">Black Lives Matter: Die-in at Delmar Loop in St. Louis</a> | <a href="http://rochester.indymedia.org/node/104222">Ferguson organizers interviewed</a> | <a href="http://rochester.indymedia.org/node/104213">"They think it's a game, they think it's a joke!" Ferguson organizers speak!</a></p><p>[[{"type":"media","view_mode":"drupalimc_large","fid":"11094","attributes":{"alt":"","class":"media-image","typeof":"foaf:Image"}}]]</p>

<p>On Wednesday, December 10, 2014, University of Rochester Medical Center medical students participated in a nation-wide action calling for die-ins and protests because #BlackLivesMatter. The die-ins and demonstrations happened at  more than 70 medical schools to protest the "lack of indictments for police killings in Ferguson, Mo., and New York, and to spotlight racial bias as a public health issue," according to a press release from Physicians for a National Health Program.</p> <p>#WhiteCoats4BlackLives came together at the University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry seemingly over night according to Emily Walters, a third year medical student.</p> <p>"On Facebook yesterday I saw someone at a different school post about this med student die-in. I clicked on the link to see what it said. It said that there were over 50 schools and Rochester wasn't on the list, which was surprising to me because we are--I feel like as a school our culture is very committed to social justice--the administration is very supportive of social justice," Walters said. "We started posting about it on social media and there was such a huge need for it by students that it came together really easily. A few posts on social media, a couple of emails, and the passion of the students," and #WhiteCoats4BlackLives materialized on campus happening that day at noon with over 70 students participating in the die-in.</p> <p>The <a href="http://www.pnhp.org/news/2014/december/medical-students-to-hold-nationwide-%E2%80%98die-ins%E2%80%99-and-protests-wednesday-because-blac">national call-out was endorsed by</a> Students for a National Health Program, part of Physicians for a National Health Program ( <a href="https://mail.uphs.upenn.edu/owa/redir.aspx?C=B0JIM9t1cEi3_Ll-tSMwnrDnqBrt5tEIJMigiFJgyS9oDaFz7BbIxTYrvQk2ICSvN9haztyG8mQ.&amp;URL=http%3a%2f%2fwww.pnhp.org"> www.pnhp.org </a> ), an organization more 19,000 physicians, health professionals, medical and health professional students who advocate for universal, single-payer, improved Medicare for all.</p> <p>Nationally, the die-ins happened around 3pm. However, in Rochester, they happened at noon. According to the <a href="https://www.facebook.com/events/1522786737975023/?ref=br_tf">Facebook event page</a>, "<span class="fsl">Our event will take place at noon in order to accommodate the schedules of our medical students. Our advisory deans encourage students who are currently scheduled for advisory dean lunch but who wish to participate in this event to participate in this event and then attend advisory dean lunch afterwards."</span></p> <p>During the die-in, Michael Seaberry, a first year medical student, read a piece he had recently written regarding the death of his father, a police officer, and the non-indictments of killer cops, Darren Wilson &amp; Daniel Pantaleo. "I wrote this piece, then ironically, about a week later, the grand jury announcements were made about not indicting officer Wilson in Ferguson. So I tweaked it a little bit to go more along with the things that have happened to me by police officers--like being pulled over at gun point for no apparent reason at all by three police cars--which was very scary," Seaberry said. "My dad, being a police officer, I sort of see both parallels; I really trust police officers because that's what my dad was, and I'm also afraid of police officers in a sense, because of the things that have been going on and because I'm a young, black male."</p> <p>"We as medical students feel that this is an important time for medical institutions to respond to the violence and race-related trauma that affect our communities and the patients we serve," states the press release. "Racial bias and violence are not exclusively a problem of the criminal justice system. As we have seen in Ferguson, Mo., New York, and countless other places, bias kills, sickens, and provides inadequate care. As medical students, we must take a stand against the oppression of our black and brown patients, colleagues, friends, and family. By standing together at medical schools nationwide, we hope to demonstrate that the medical student community views racial violence as a public health crisis. We are #whitecoats4blacklives."</p> <p><strong>Watch Rochester's action below:</strong></p> <p><div class="media media-element-container media-drupalimc_large"><div id="file-11093" class="file file-video file-video-youtube"> <h2 class="element-invisible"><a href="/file/11093">White Coats 4 Black Lives</a></h2> <div class="content"> <div class="media-youtube-video media-image media-youtube-7"> <iframe class="media-youtube-player" width="620" height="480" title="White Coats 4 Black Lives" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/d6spZkA8AOo?wmode=opaque&controls=" name="White Coats 4 Black Lives" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen>Video of White Coats 4 Black Lives</iframe> </div> </div> </div> </div></p> <p><!--break--></p> <p>A list of medical schools that participated in the action including but not limited to:<br />Albany Medical College, Albany  <br />Albert Einstein College of Medicine, New York<br />Boston University School of Medicine, Boston<br />Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland<br />Charles R. Drew/UCLA Medical Education Program, Los Angeles<br />Chicago Medical School, Rosalind Franklin University, Chicago<br />Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York<br />Cooper Medical School of Rowan University, Camden<br />Dartmouth Geisel School of Medicine, Hanover<br />David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles<br />Duke University School of Medicine, Durham<br />Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta<br />Frank H. Netter School of Medicine at Quinnipiac, North Haven<br />George Washington School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Washington, D.C.<br />Harvard Medical School, Boston<br />Howard University College of Medicine, Washington DC<br />Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York<br />Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore<br />Keck School of Medicine of USC, Los Angeles<br />Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine, Chicago<br />Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee<br />Meharry Medical College, Nashville<br />Michigan State University College of Human Medicine, East Lansing<br />Morehouse School of Medicine, Atlanta<br />New York Medical College, Valhalla<br />New York University School of Medicine, New York<br />Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago<br />Ohio State University College of Medicine, Columbus<br />Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia<br />Pritzker School of Medicine, University of Chicago, Chicago<br />Rush Medical College, Chicago<br />Rutgers New Jersey Medical School, Newark<br />Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, New Brunswick<br />Southern Illinois University School of Medicine, Springfield<br />Saint Louis University School of Medicine, St. Louis<br />Sidney Kimmel Medical College at Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia<br />Stony Brook University School of Medicine, Stony Brook<br />SUNY Downstate College of Medicine, Brooklyn<br />Temple University School of Medicine, Philadelphia<br />Texas College of Osteopathic Medicine, Fort Worth<br />Touro University California College of Medicine, Vallejo<br />Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston<br />Tulane University School of Medicine, New Orleans<br />University at Buffalo School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Buffalo<br />University of Arizona College of Medicine, Phoenix<br />University of Arizona College of Medicine, Tucson<br />University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences College of Medicine, Little Rock<br />University of California Davis School of Medicine, Sacramento<br />University of California, San Diego School of Medicine, San Diego<br />University of California at San Francisco School of Medicine, San Francisco<br />University of California, Irvine School of Medicine, Irvine<br />University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati<br />University of Illinois College of Medicine, Chicago<br />University of Illinois College of Medicine at Urbana Champaign, Urbana<br />University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore<br />University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester<br />University of Medicine and Health Sciences, St. Kitts<br />University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami<br />University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor<br />University of Minnesota Medical School, Minneapolis<br />University of New England College of Osteopathic Medicine, Biddeford<br />University of North Carolina School of Medicine, Chapel Hill<br />University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh<br />University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, Rochester, N.Y.<br />University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston<br />University of Texas Southwestern Medical School, Dallas<br />University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville<br />Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine, Richmond<br />Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem<br />Warren Alpert Medical School at Brown University, Providence<br />Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis<br />Weill Cornell Medical College, New York<br />Yale School of Medicine, New Haven<br /> </p> <p><strong>Photos from action: </strong><a href="http://rochester.indymedia.org/node/104358">photos from White Coats for Black Lives @ URMC</a></p> <p> </p> <p><strong>Related Information:</strong> <a href="http://rochester.indymedia.org/node/104366">A walkthrough of Vonderrit Myers' killing</a> |<a href="http://rochester.indymedia.org/node/104364"> "The Whole Damn System is Guilty!" From Rochester to Ferguson -- a community report back</a> | <a href="http://rochester.indymedia.org/node/104339">No Justice, No Peace--a response to the non-indictment of Darren Wilson</a> |<strong> </strong><a href="http://rochester.indymedia.org/node/104308">Black Lives Matter March &amp; Rally @ UR: a response to the Ferguson grand jury decision</a> |<a href="http://rochester.indymedia.org/node/104299"> Ferguson Response Press Conference hosted by UCLM &amp; CPR</a> |<a href="http://rochester.indymedia.org/node/104294"> Spontaneous protest in response to Wilson non-indictment</a> | <a href="http://rochester.indymedia.org/node/104290">Ferguson Revolutionary Community Organizers Speak!</a> | <span class="a" style="left:1814px;top:561px"><a href="http://www.scribd.com/doc/248115932/The-Results-Are-in-Open-Letter-11-24-14">The Results Are In: An Open Letter from Protestors on the Grand Jury Decision (11.24.14)</a> |</span><a href="http://rochester.indymedia.org/node/104274"> Huey Jakhi on the role of women in the movement</a> |<a href="http://rochester.indymedia.org/node/104273"> Huey Jakhi speaking on "a real dirty devil" in St Louis</a><strong> </strong>| <a href="http://rochester.indymedia.org/node/104272">Huey Jakhi on life, liberation, and oppressive systems</a> | <a href="http://rochester.indymedia.org/node/104263">Reign on white supremacy and police in St. Louis</a> | <a href="http://rochester.indymedia.org/node/104261">Revolutionary community organizer Reign speaks!</a> | <a href="http://rochester.indymedia.org/node/104253">The Injustice Freak Show</a> | <a href="http://rochester.indymedia.org/node/104229">Black Lives Matter: Die-in at Delmar Loop in St. Louis</a> | <a href="http://rochester.indymedia.org/node/104222">Ferguson organizers interviewed</a> | <a href="http://rochester.indymedia.org/node/104213">"They think it's a game, they think it's a joke!" Ferguson organizers speak!</a></p> <p><div class="media media-element-container media-drupalimc_large"><div id="file-11094" class="file file-image file-image-png"> <h2 class="element-invisible"><a href="/file/11094">wc4bl.png</a></h2> <div class="content"> <a href="http://rochester.indymedia.org/sites/default/files/wc4bl.png?width=500&amp;height=500" class="colorbox-load" alt=""><img typeof="foaf:Image" src="http://rochester.indymedia.org/sites/default/files/styles/drupalimc_large/public/wc4bl.png?itok=pSWMkBdo" alt="" title="" /></a> </div> </div> </div></p>