Symbolic Solidarity or Virtue Signaling? A Critical Discourse Analysis of the Public Statements Released by Academic Medical Organizations in the Wake of the Killing of George Floyd

Abstract

Purpose Many academic medical organizations issued statements in response to demand for collective action against racial injustices and police brutality following the murder of George Floyd in May 2020. These statements may offer insight into how medical schools and national organizations were reflecting on and responding to these incidents. The authors sought to empirically examine the initial statements published by academic medical organizations in response to societal concerns about systemic, anti-Black racism. Method The authors searched for initial public statements released by a sample of academic medical organizations in Canada and the United States between May 25 and August 31, 2020. They assembled an archive with a purposive sample of 45 statements, including those issued by 35 medical schools and 10 national organizations. They analyzed the statements using Fairclough’s 3-dimensional framework for critical discourse analysis (descriptive, interpretive, explanatory), which is a qualitative approach to systematically analyzing language and how it reflects and shapes social practice. Results Many statements used formal and analytical language and reflected hierarchical thinking and power differentials between statement producers and consumers. The authors identified several tensions in the statements between explicit messaging and implied ideologies (e.g., self-education vs action to address racism), and they found a lack of critical reflection and commitment to institutional accountability to address anti-Black racism in academic medicine. The authors also found that many statements minimized discussions of racism and de-emphasized anti-Black racism as well as portrayed anti-Black racism as outside the institution and institutional accountability. Conclusions This research offers insight into how 45 academic medical organizations initially responded following the murder of George Floyd. Many of these statements included self-exculpatory and nonracist discursive strategies. While these statements may have been well intentioned, organizations must move beyond words to transformative action to abolish institutional racism in academic medicine.

Doing the Work—or Not: The Promise and Limitations of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in US Medical Schools and Academic Medical Centers

“…However, in an analysis of 45 such statements, researchers found that one third did not include the words “racism” or “racist.” Of those that did, many minimized institutional accountability by focusing on interpersonal racism, and offered no commitments to specific actions. In addition, many used the words “diversity, equity, and inclusion,” or highlighted past DEI work unrelated to racial justice, rather than explicitly address anti-Black racism ( 36 ). In other words, following a clear national moment of racial reckoning, academic medical institutions were unable or unwilling to name racism, failed to acknowledge medicine's role in perpetuating racial violence and structural inequities, and instead often conflated DEI work with anti-racism.…”

The impact of social unrest due to systemic racism on underrepresented post-doctoral fellows and early-career faculty

“…7 Many academic medical organizations released statements in response to concerns about systemic racism in the aftermath of George Floyd's death and made incremental changes in policy. 8 Yet little research has examined the impact of social unrest due to systemic racism on early-career scientists from UR backgrounds. Research from the National Institutes of Health shows that civil unrest tied to racism negatively impacted approximately half of extramural researchers who identified as women, Black or African American, or Hispanic.…”

“…Many academic medical organizations released statements in response to concerns about systemic racism in the aftermath of George Floyd's death and made incremental changes in policy [8]. Yet little research has examined the impact of social unrest due to systemic racism on early-career scientists from UR backgrounds.…”

The contribution of undergraduate medical education dress codes to systemic discrimination: A critical policy analysis

“…The recent public commitments to anti‐racism and anti‐oppression work made by many medical schools and universities in response to the Black Lives Matter movement 10 provide impetus to examine the structures, programmes and policies that harm and discriminate against marginalised medical students. Critical policy analysis methods have been used to understand how medical school accreditation and educational standards exclude medical students with disabilities 11 .…”

“…6 The prototypical example is the policing of Black women's natural hair as unprofessional, 7,8 thus placing pressure on Black women to process or change their hair to conform to a more socalled professional, Eurocentric appearance. 9 The recent public commitments to anti-racism and antioppression work made by many medical schools and universities in response to the Black Lives Matter movement 10 provide impetus to examine the structures, programmes and policies that harm and discriminate against marginalised medical students. Critical policy analysis methods have been used to understand how medical school accreditation and educational standards exclude medical students with disabilities.…”