My office staff and I are committed to becoming better allies and advocates in the continued fight for racial equality in the U.S. We're writing to let you know how we'll be doing more so that we can provide equitable, excellent care in a society that often creates barriers between Black Americans and access to mental and physical health care.
We recognize that people with non-white skin face unique challenges in America due to racism that has historically been embedded in our economy and culture. Racism is a disease that threatens public and personal health. Like any other disease, we're committed to addressing and correcting it. We support the organizations that have been doing the work to combat it for a long time, including the ACLU, NAACP, and the SPLC.
We've been muted & listening for the last few weeks. In the same way that we spend over 50% of our office visits actively listening and asking questions to determine the next best steps, we believe that our role as allies in the fight for racial equality is to listen and to do what is being asked of us as allies. We're deliberately taking our cues from the experts on change-making and people of color in our community. We are using expert-compiled resources to do our own research to educate ourselves about race and to become anti-racist. Some of the resources that have been helping us navigate include the Scaffolded Anti-Racist Resource document and the Anti-Racist Allyship Starter Pack, as well as Creative Commons' Resources to Support Black Lives Matter which we are sharing for you to use as well.
Moving forward we will be doing the following:
We'll use our web presence to highlight the people who are doing the work locally and nationally to combat racism and fix the inequities that still exist in our society.
We will partner with people making change in our local community and will be letting you know about how you can support their efforts.
We'll donate to Campaign Zero, ACLU, NAACP and SPLC. Through the end of 2020 any person who books a new patient appointment with Dr. Kate will have the option to request that 5% of their visit fee be donated to any of these organizations.
We're partnering with doctors across the country to provide naturopathic medicine to activists on the front lines of this movement. Part of this effort includes the creation of a non-profit, the aim of which is to democratize access to evidence-based healing info so that change-makers can heal and then - in turn - heal the world. We're committed to including folks with diverse backgrounds in this initiative. We'll have more info soon.
It is our belief that police brutality is a public health issue. It must be corrected within the policing community and will only change in response to public demand and accountability at all levels of government. We are and will continue to be part of that public demand. First responders and police officers have their own unique health challenges and put a lot on the line every day to protect American citizens. We're incredibly passionate about their health and wellness - as passionate as we are about the belief that police officers must fix the problems of police brutality and racism within their ranks. It’s why we support Campaign Zero and it’s why we’ll be actively engaging with our local law enforcement offices to make sure we’re part of the solution.
This is an area in which we are students, not teachers.
We are listening and learning.
We are becoming equipped to challenge racism where we encounter it and will not shy away from hard conversations where they need to happen. This includes reflection on our own areas of improvement and growth.
Please share your own resources with us that you've found helpful.
Links to local and national organizations that you feel we need to support are welcomed, too.
With warmth and wellness,
Dr. Kate & Team