Dr. Mark Johnson, chair of neurosurgery at UMass Memorial Health Care
June 19, 2020
UMass Memorial doctor and protestor encouraged by response to Black Lives Matter rallies
Photo | Grant Welker
A Black Lives Matter protest was held June 5 by staff outside the UMass Memorial Medical Center and UMass Medical School in Worcester
Change is happening.
During an interview on the WBJ Podcast, Dr. Mark Johnson, chair of neurosurgery at UMass Memorial Health Care and a participant in UMass' rallies in support of the Black Lives Matter movement, said the scope and longevity of the protests following the police killing of Minneapolis black man George Floyd show the public attitudes and policies creating racism in America are beginning to be dismantled.
"This is a special time where as a nation we have collectively come to recognize a flaw in our society that needs to be fixed," Johnson said on the Weekly Business Report podcast. "Whether it is individuals, businesses, hospitals, schools, when they put their voices together and raise them together, I think it sends a message to our leaders and to those who are oppressed that the time for change has come."
Johnson grew up in the South and was often attacked by passers-by in cars as he was walking to the newly desegregated schools. After graduating from a private high school in New Hampshire, he and his family were shot at by a group of white men with guns at a rest stop. Even after entering Harvard Medical School, Johnson said he encountered racism, including a conversation with a coworker saying black students didn't belong at the school.
"That was a difficult conversation, which I remember well," Johnson said.
Since Floyd's killing and the ensuing Black Lives Matter protests, though, Johnson said he has been encouraged by the public's response, particularly businesses putting out statements in support, which included UMass Memorial Health Care and UMass Medical School.
"Our businesses, our employers, are a strong voice in our communities, and the people who lead those companies and other types of businesses are seen as leaders in our communities. So, when they speak, people listen," he said.
On the other side, businesses who haven't come out in support of the effort to end racism are sending their own message, Johnson said.
"For those businesses that remain silent, that sends a message as well. During times of crisis, when they do not step up to play a leadership role, there is a vacuum, and that can be hurtful to many individuals, including their own employees," he said.
UMass Memorial Health Care and UMass Medical School held their own rally called White Coats for Black Lives on June 5 as part of the nationwide effort to end institutional racism. Johnson was among the more than 100 participants at that rally.
"The important thing is we all need to realize each person has a role to play. When we see racism around us, we need to speak up," he said. "If you are a person who does not support diversity or equality, you will be in the minority."
To listen to the full interview on the WBJ Podcast episode "Dr. Mark Johnson & the fight against racism" click here.
WBJ Web Partners
Most Recent
Most Recent
0 Comments