Report a Bias Incident
Report a Bias Incident or Diversity, Equity, Accessibility, & Inclusion (DEAI) Cultural Climate Concern in the UT College of Pharmacy or any UT Pharmacy affiliated experiential sites: A bias incident is a behavior or organizational culture that is derogatory or unwelcoming in nature, and targets an individual based on their actual or perceived race, ethnicity, color, religion, national origin, disability, veteran status, marital/familial status, possession of a General Education Development Certificate (GED) as compared to a high school diploma, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, sex, age, or genetic information.
Please understand that this reporting mechanism for UT Pharmacy should NOT replace any incidents or concerns intended for the campus resource Office of Institutional Equity (OIE), whose responsibilities include investigating and helping to resolve complaints of discrimination.
Whether submitting a concern here or not, you still have the right to contact the Dean of Students Office and can complete an OIE Campus Climate Incident Online Report Form.
UTCOP community members can report a Bias Incident or Diversity, Equity, Accessibility, & Inclusion (DEAI) Cultural Climate Concern in UT Pharmacy or any UT Pharmacy affiliated experiential sites.
Equity & Diversity in the news
Diversity Statement
The College of Pharmacy at UT Austin, ranked among the top pharmacy programs in the country, aims to be an exemplar of intersectionally inclusive excellence through a rigorous approach to the understanding of intercultural engagement in our ever-expanding global world and knowledge economy.
The College of Pharmacy further labors to uphold a vision that inspires and challenges, yet explicitly affirms the students, staff, and faculty of our diverse community with authentic appreciation for the differences that engineer our pluralistic ingenuity. Our commitment to be intentionally inclusive in the culture, curriculum, and practices of the College of Pharmacy is resolute.
Statement on Gender Equity and Underrepresented Minorities
The University of Texas at Austin and the College of Pharmacy place a high priority on ensuring that the campus is a place where diverse people, ideas, and perspectives can flourish. To learn more, visit our UT Office for Inclusion and Equity.
Dr. Carolyn Brown represents the College of Pharmacy on the University Faculty Gender Equity Council.
Dr. Skyller Walkes represents the College of Pharmacy on the Council for Racial and Ethnic Equity and Diversity (CREED).
Acknowledging the Pain and Progress of Our Indigenous Community
July 12, 2020
Greetings UTCOP Family,
I hope this message finds you well and motivated for another week ahead. This past week was a reflective one for many reasons. Through that reflection, I aim to be intentional in my efforts to amplify the experiences of our BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color) communities, along with other historically marginalized identities to foster an intentionally inclusive community. In events that none of us could have ever foreseen, these conversations are happening spherically now- in our college, across our institution, and around the nation and world. Some of the dialogue brought forth has been painful (to tell and to hear) and at the same time, even healing. In short, progress is often borne of discomfort, and I’m writing now to underscore this point. Much of the city and campus spaces that our buildings and bodies currently occupy must also be acknowledged with respect to the indigenous lands that were dispossessed, as a consequence.
On July 9th, the Supreme Court ruled that a large part of eastern Oklahoma falls within a Native American reservation. This case served to confront the United States’ long and shameful history of disavowed treaties and the forced removals of Indigenous tribes from their land. Much of which is still residually felt today.
Buttressed by years of demonstrations and protests, it was also determined last week that the Dakota Access Pipeline must now shut down pending an environmental review and subsequently be emptied of oil in August. This was a monumental victory for the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe, other Native American communities, and environmental groups who have actively fought the project for years.
I share these current events not as a political statement but to acknowledge the continued struggle and recent gains of the Indigenous community. Our Indigenous brothers, sisters, and siblings are fewer in number, and as a result, are often forgotten and pushed further into the margins by our lack of acknowledgement. Please join me in reflection today and every day in recognizing their struggles and celebrating their contributions to our existence, that which is taught and visible to us, and that which is lesser known.
Wishing you a wonderful week ahead…
Warmest Regards,
Skyller Walkes, Ph.D.
DEAI and Anti-Racism Readings to Further Curriculum Development and Actionable Knowledge
Trigger-warning: not all of these readings are light or palatable.
Still, all voices matter in the struggle against oppression, however insidious or explicit that oppression may be. For some, this may be exploratory, and for others, it may already ring familiar. In any case, I hope you’ll access it in the spirit of growth and community, and as always, I invite you to connect with me should you desire any additional support.
Yours in community,
Skyller Walkes, Ph.D.
Anti-racism in Medicine Collection within MedEdPORTAL
The Association of American Medical Colleges website has provided resource readings that speak to structural racism and oppression in healthcare, while underscoring actionable knowledge. You’ll find their explanation contained in this blurb from the website: “The new Anti-racism in Medicine Collection within MedEdPORTAL provides educators with practice-based, peer-reviewed resources to teach anti-racist knowledge and clinical skills, elevates the educational scholarship of anti-racist curricula, and aims to convene a community of collaborators dedicated to the elimination of racism within medical education.”
The State of Black Immigrants, Part II: Black Immigrants in the Mass Criminalization System
Black immigrants are one of the fastest growing demographics in the United States. Nonetheless, this group remains a novelty in the broader immigration discourse. This report aims to elevate the conditions facing Black immigrants in the United States, drawing particular attention to their experience in the criminal law and immigration systems. This report argues that like African-Americans, Black immigrants experience disparate, often negative, outcomes within various social and economic structures in the U.S., including the country’s mass criminalization and immigration enforcement regimes.
Art Galleries at Black Studies (AGBS) Letter of Support
Education and Visitor Services Coordinator for UT Austin’s Art Galleries at Black Studies (AGBS) Kendyll Gross writes a letter of support to the UT Pharmacy community for an upcoming collaboration developed by Assistant Dean of Diversity & Inclusion Skyller Walkes, “Interrogating Race, Gender, Class, and Sexuality through Art in Decolonial Art Spaces for Future Pharmacists.”
Decriminalizing Blackness: A Syllabus from the History Department of the University of North Texas
This is a syllabus prepared by UNT’s History Department. It contains several recommendations. Additionally, the department identifies several Black bookstores where these resources can be found – an effective way of demonstrating the value of supporting Black community members through economics.
Recommendations from the 2020 Macy Foundation Conference
Addressing Harmful Bias and Eliminating Discrimination in Health Professions Learning Environments
Report from the 2020 Macy Foundation Conference
Addressing Harmful Bias and Eliminating Discrimination in Health Professions Learning Environments
Syllabus: A History of Anti-Black Racism in Medicine
By Antoine S. Johnson, Elise A. Mitchell, Ayah Nuriddin
The ongoing Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic is revealing longstanding American health and healthcare disparities yet to be addressed. While some have described COVID as a “great equalizer,” policing, public health, medical care, and public funds are revealing otherwise. COVID-19’s impact on Black people in general and poor and working-class Black people in particular, has elucidated this country’s long disparate treatment of Black people and centuries-long neglect of Black health concerns. We hope this syllabus offers insight into those historical legacies, while simultaneously paving way for equitable health for all underrepresented populations.
Although the focus of this syllabus is the history of anti-Blackness in American medicine, we are aware that many of the texts are not from historians of medicine. Those scholars’ insights, however, are invaluable to our dissertation research and theoretical approaches. The selection of texts here also reveals the gaps that remain between the histories of medicine and science and Black studies. Though this syllabus is certainly not exhaustive, it lays important groundwork for bridging this gap and illustrating that questions of race and racism should be central to studying the histories of medicine and science. We hope that this syllabus serves not as an endpoint–but as a beginning.
Additional Anti-Racism Resources
- NAACP resources on coronavirus
- The Relationship Between Structural Racism and Black-White Disparities in Fatal Police Shootings at the State Level
- 75 ways Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders are speaking out for Black lives
- The Characteristics of White Supremacy Culture
- The New York Times‘ 1619 Project and Podcast
- National Pharmacy Organizations Unite to Take a Stand Against Racial Injustice
Diversity and Inclusion Toolkit Resources
Please note that guest trainer Dr. Vicki Sapp of Geisinger Medical School has three of her professional identity formation cultural humility curriculums peered reviewed, accepted and published with the AAMC for medical professionals.
These resources are meant to aid diverse academic medicine professionals in their career development.
ADL Calendar of Observances
Anti-Defamation League (ADL) is a leading anti-hate organization. Founded in 1913 in response to an escalating climate of anti-Semitism and bigotry, its timeless mission is to protect the Jewish people and to secure justice and fair treatment for all. Today, ADL continues to fight all forms of hate with the same vigor and passion. ADL is a global leader in exposing extremism and delivering anti-bias education, and is a leading organization in training law enforcement.
Statues and Memorials: Whites Writing Whiteness
The politics surrounding and undergirding statues and memorials and societal responses to them was much in the news when this annotated Reading List was being prepared, associated in large part with Black Lives Matter and public statuary of people associated with slavery.
Clearly the issues raised have wider remit too, as old orders give way to new and what was once, at least by those in positions of political authority, seen as worthy of public recognition and memorialization comes under attack, sometimes literally attack.
On July 16, 2020, the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy (AACP) House of Delegates passed two policies related to structural racism, healthcare equity, and pharmacy education.
The members of the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy support the Association’s commitment to “…fostering an inclusive community” and “…affirming our commitment to racial equality, equity and justice”; and that as educators, researchers, and healthcare professionals, members of the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy are committed to the principles of diversity, equity, inclusion, accessibility, justice and anti-racism; and will seek opportunities to eradicate structural and systemic racism to address social determinants of health, diminish health disparities, and promote racial equity.
The bolded section is new policy added to AACP’s existing policy
AACP supports the integration within core curriculum and programs regarding the historical and current impact of structural and systemic racism and cultural biases on health care disparities, including strategies to promote health equity and delivery of culturally competent care.
American Journal of Pharmaceutical Education - Systemic Racism and the Pharmacists' Role
Find Community in Affinity University Resource Groups (URGs) for Faculty, Staff, and Graduate Students
Access the link below for all of the University of Texas at Austin URG webpages:
University Resource Groups (URGs) provide an organized voice on campus for diverse communities within The University of Texas at Austin. The URGs not only provide a way to communicate the needs of these diverse groups to the campus community, but also celebrate the voices, identities, experiences, and talents of the groups. The URGs also provide leadership training and other professional development, community service opportunities, and celebrations such as an annual potluck for all faculty and staff.
The Asian/Asian American Faculty and Staff Association (AAAFSA)
The mission of AAAFSA is to support, celebrate, and empower Asian and Asian American faculty and staff by fostering a community that provides opportunities for networking, communication, and growth — both personal and professional.
The Black Faculty and Staff Association (BFSA)
BFSA is dedicated to visible commitment and inclusion of Black faculty, staff and students. Our mission is to advocate progress through the promotion of professional development, mentoring, networking, wellness, scholarships, and cultural programs.
The Hispanic Faculty Staff Association (HFSA)
HFSA provides opportunities for social and cultural interaction among Hispanic/Latino as well as other interested professionals. We encourage communication, support networking, and serve as a voice for cultural and educational issues.
The Pride and Equity Faculty Staff Association (PEFSA)
PEFSA advances the university’s educational mission by cultivating a safe and inclusive environment that values, celebrates, and affirms the sexual and gender diversity of faculty and staff members.
Virtual Learning Opportunities
Kaplan Racial Inequality in Medicine Webinar Series
Kaplan invited medical educators, experts, and students to take a deep dive into the systemic inequalities that exist within the education system and leading towards actionable solutions to eradicate educational injustices.
Educator & Student Registration
Register for one or more of the upcoming webinars listed below.
Previous webinars were recorded and the titles of each are linked to Kaplan blog posts that include panelist bios alongside the embedded video.
Black Pain Matters: How Historical Medical Assumptions about Black Pain Thresholds Impact Care
Thursday, October 15, 2020 from 6-7 p.m. CT
Historic assumptions and misconceptions about Black pain tolerance continue to impact not only the medical treatment that Black people receive today, but also the gaps in education that all medical students unknowingly face. In this event, our panelists will address well documented racial disparities in treatment―including around COVID-19―and will take a close look at Black case studies that can and should be included in medical curricula.
Racial Disparities in Mental Healthcare
Thursday, November 5, 2020 from 6-7 p.m. CT
Racial disparities in mental healthcare are rampant. In the US, it is well documented that minorities receive less access to mental health services and lower-quality treatment than their white counterparts. During this event, our panelists will take a deep dive into what defines “racial disparities” in mental healthcare and ways in which treatment and intervention can be improved by prioritizing culturally-diverse training in higher education.
Acknowledging Racial Inequality in Medical Education
Recorded Tuesday, September 1, 2020 from 6-7 p.m. CT
Racial inequality in medical education is an undeniable truth, and its impact has far reaching consequences which extend beyond medical school. Today, the rallying cry for the evolution of medical education is loud and clear, but how do we even begin to confront these uncomfortable truths and work towards an equitable solution? The answer begins with acknowledging past―and present―inequality in medical education.
Bodies for Science: History of Experimentation on People of Color
Recorded Tuesday, September 22, 2020 from 6-7 p.m. CT
The racist history of medical practices in the U.S. are the foundations for a current healthcare system wrought with inequality and fear. In this event, panelists will unpack medical breakthroughs discovered through experimentation of the bodies of people of color as well as medical ethics, existing exploitation of BIPOC and impoverished communities, and proposed solutions for remedying this ongoing atrocity.
Videos & Webinars
Web Briefing: Racism and Discrimination in Health Care – Experiences Today and Actions to Address Going Forward
Interactive web briefing hosted by KFF and the Morehouse School of Medicine’s Satcher Health Leadership Institute that discussed systemic racial discrimination in the health care system and the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. Specifically, the briefing addressed earning the trust of individuals and communities regarding COVID-19 vaccines.
Take A Stand On Racial Injustice: Perspectives From Mental Health Experts In Advocacy And Psychiatric Health Care
Hosted by PsychU, this webinar featured distinguished mental health thought leaders sharing the impact of racism and its trauma on their professional and personal lives. Their discussion covers systemic racism, health care disparities, and the appropriate distribution of resources so that those experiencing mental health crises are attended to in a way that is medically appropriate.
Fighting Hate From Home: Fighting Racism as a Multiracial Jewish Community
Video discussion hosted by the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) on fighting racism as a multiracial Jewish Community with Ilana Kaufman, Executive Director of the Jews of Color Field Building Initiative, Gamal Palmer, Schusterman Fellow 2019, Ginna Green, political consultant and strategist, and ADL CEO Jonathan Greenblatt.
The 1619 Project’s Virtual Panel on the Historical Roots of the Pandemic’s Racial Disparities
Black Americans have experienced a vastly disproportionate death rate during the Covid-19 pandemic, magnifying and revealing persistent inequalities that remain an undeniable force in this country. A recent cover story in The New York Times Magazine addressed these tragic disparities and showed how they are connected to a history of systemic racism in the United States. This same history was explored in the magazine’s landmark 1619 Project last summer. Join us for a conversation about how this country’s past has affected its present disparate health outcomes.
Women of Color Need Courageous Allies in the Academy
A webinar hosted by INSIGHT Into Diversity that brought Black and White women together to share their experiences, perspectives, and potential solutions to common and often challenging interactions. At a time when many people are overwhelmed by the COVID-19 pandemic and the recent racial unrest throughout our country, the willingness and knowledge of how to effectively engage with one another is essential.
Women of Color Need Courageous Allies in the Academy: Part Two
INSIGHT Into Diversity hosted the second webinar in a new discussion series titled “Women of Color Need Courageous Allies in the Academy.” Featuring expert panelists from colleges and universities across the U.S., the series explores how White women can be allies in the fight for racial and gender equality in higher education and society. This session focused on how White colleagues can confront the challenges — personal and professional — of proactive anti-racism and allyship.
Brené with Ibram X. Kendi on How to Be an Antiracist
UT alumna and 2020 University Commencement Speaker Brené Brown talks with professor Ibram X. Kendi, New York Times bestselling author of How to Be an Antiracist and the Director of the Antiracist Research and Policy Center at American University.
Discussions at The University of Texas at Austin and the UT College of Pharmacy
UT Austin Racial Geography Tour, conducted by Vice Provost for Diversity Ted Gordon, Ph.D.
Resources on how to better support Black, Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC) faculty and staff through anti-racism awareness and action
- We can’t breathe at work, either: John Henryism and the health impact of racism by Dr. Richard Reddick
- The emotional impact of watching white people wake up to racism in real-time by Natalie Morris
- Dear White People: Here Are 5 Uncomfortable Truths Black Colleagues Need You To Know by Dana Brownlee
- The time tax put on scientists of colour
- Asian Americans Reflect on Racism During the Pandemic and the Need for Equality
- How the civil rights movement opened the door to immigrants of color
- South Asians for Black Lives: A Call for Action, Accountability, and Introspection
- Blackness in brown spaces
- South Asians in the US must support #BlackLivesMatter, but first undo your own anti-Blackness
Resources for Black, Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC) to engage in self-care
- Surviving & Resisting Hate: A Toolkit for People of Color
- Self-Care Tips for Black People Who Are Struggling with this Very Painful Week
- Self-Care for People of Color after Psychological Trauma
- Students of Color Are Not OK. Here’s How Colleges Can Support Them
- Family-Care, Community-Care and Self-Care Toolkit: Healing in the Face of Cultural Trauma
Resources for engaging in anti-racism work and practicing solidarity
- Resources for Engaging in Anti-Racism Work
- We are Living in a Racist Pandemic
- Your Black Colleagues May Look Like They’re Okay – Chances are They’re Not
- Affirming Black Lives Without Inducing Trauma
- If You See Something, Do Something Instead of Calling the Cops
- What to Do Instead of Calling the Police
- Addressing Racial Privilege: A Mental Model for White Anti-Racists
- Anti-Racism Resources for White People
Accessibility in teaching
The Universal Design for Learning (UDL) Guidelines are a tool used in the implementation of Universal Design for Learning, a framework to improve and optimize teaching and learning for all people based on scientific insights into how humans learn.
LGBTQIA Resources
Why Pronouns Matter and How to Use Pronouns for Intentional Inclusion
Why Supporting Chief Diversity Officer Roles in All Colleges and Schools Is Necessary
American Psychological Association (APA) Race and Ethnicity Bias-Free Style Guide
Books to read
Freedom Is A Constant Struggle by Angela Davis
Between The World And Me by Ta-Nehisi Coates
The Fire Next Time by James Baldwin
Beloved by Toni Morrison
How To Be An Antiracist by Ibram X. Kendi
Stamped From the Beginning by Ibram X. Kendi
The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration In The Age of Colorblindness by Michelle Alexander
White Rage: The Unspoken Truth of Our Racial Divide by Carol Anderson
Lies My Teacher Told Me by James W. Loewen
White Fragility: Why It’s So Hard for White People to Talk About Racism by Robin Diangelo
Just Mercy by Bryan Stevenson
Why Are All the Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria? by Beverly Daniel Tatum
White Trash: The 400 Year Untold History of Class in America by Nancy Iscenberg
America’s Original Sin: Racism, White Privilege and the Bridge to a New America by Jim Wallis
Have Black Lives Ever Mattered? By Mumia Abu-Jamal
A Young People’s History of the United States by Howard Zinn
People’s History of the United States by Howard Zinn
The Fire This Time: A New Generation Speaks About Race edited by Jesmyn Ward
So You Want to Talk About Race by Ijeoma Oluo
Me and White Supremacy: Combat Racism, Change the World, and Become a Good Ancestor by Llayla Saad
How We Fight for Our Lives by Saeed Jones
When They Call You a Terrorist: A Black Lives Matter Memoir by Patrisse Kahn-Cullors and Asha Bandele
An African American and Latinx History of the United States by Paul Ortiz
The Assassination of Fred Hampton: How the FBI and the Chicago Police Murdered a Black Panther by Jeffrey Haas
Film and television to watch
The Kalief Browder Story (Netflix)
The Innocence Files (Netflix)
Who Killed Malcolm X? (Netflix)
13th (Netflix)
When They See Us (Netflix)
American Son (Netflix)
Just Mercy (Free across multiple streaming platforms during the month of June)
The Hate U Give (Hulu)
If Beale Street Could Talk (Hulu)
Podcasts to listen to
1619 by the New York Times
About Race
Codeswitch
Pod Save the People
Intersectionality Matters!
Intersectionality between the Black Lives Matter movement and honoring Pride Month
- Five Trailblazers You Should Know: Pride Edition
- New Smithsonian places African American LGBT community in full view
- 7 black LGBTQ leaders in honor of Juneteenth and Pride month
- Bayard Rustin: The Man Who Organized The March On Washington
- Andrea Jenkins, the first black trans woman in the U.S. to hold public office, on how to stop violence against trans women
- Honoring Black LGBTQ Icons
- 8 Inspiring Queer Black Icons You Should Know About
Newsletter
Read the Spring 2020 edition of DiversiTEA Corner, the newsletter about topics and events regarding inclusion, diversity, equity, and accessibility at the UT College of Pharmacy.
Past Issues: DiversiTEA Corner – Fall 2019
College Strategic Plan
For additional information about diversity efforts, see Goal 4 (Recruitment, Retention, and Recognition of an Outstanding and Diverse Faculty and Staff).
Posters and Stickers
The College of Pharmacy has created posters and stickers in multiple languages in an effort to get its message out on creating a climate conducive to learning and creating knowledge for every person in the community. Feel free to download and print these items for your own use, display, and distribution.
Posters (all files are PDFs)
- You Belong Here, 11″ x 17″, English
- You Belong Here, Half Letter, English
- Tú Perteneces Aquí, 11″ x 17″, Español
- Tú Perteneces Aquí, Half Letter, Español
- 당신은 여기에 속해 있습니다, 11″ x 17″, Korean
- 당신은 여기에 속해 있습니다, Half Letter, Korean
- 你是我们的一员, 11″ x 17″, Mandarin
- 你是我们的一员, Half Sheet, Mandarin
- A Message to the 2020 Graduates
