The Golden Rule tells us to treat others as we want to be treated; it doesn’t, however, tell us who we should consider a neighbor or that we should ignore those who aren’t.
UNMC’s first “Conversations for Inclusive Excellence” challenged campus participants to be both culturally humble and aware of who they “see” as their neighbors. Hosted by the Office of Inclusion, the newly launched, monthly sessions are designed to engage faculty, staff and students in meaningful and, at times, uncomfortable conversations to co-create understanding.
During the Jan. 12 virtual session, attendees watched a thought-provoking TEDx Talk by Oluwaferanmi Okanlami, MD, on identity and inclusion during COVID-19. Attendees then joined smaller breakout sessions for a more intimate (and unrecorded) conversation.
Miss the Jan. 12 session? View a recording of the presentation:
- Part I (27 minutes) includes the opening, as well as Drs. Strong and Gold’s comments and the TEDxTalk presentation.
- Part II (14 minutes) includes the group discussion and takeaways from the video and breakout sessions.
“We are all only as healthy as our most vulnerable neighbors,” Dr. Okanlami said while sharing his personal experiences. “. . .The future will be our fault even if the past is not. We’re all in this together.”
During her opening remarks, Sheritta Strong, MD, director of inclusion at UNMC, said: “We can’t change the world without first looking within,” and then asked the group: “How do we build equitable and inclusive cultures and environments when certain populations are marginalized?”
Creating more inclusive cultures requires being authentic, speaking the truth and understanding that we all are part of the solution, said UNMC Chancellor Jeffrey P. Gold, MD, who participated in the hourlong session. “Our lives are full of bumps in the road and our job is to deal with these challenges and turn them into opportunities as best as we can.”
The journey toward more inclusive cultures begins with increased awareness, Dr. Strong said. Test your awareness: See this month’s challenge and question (which includes a one-minute awareness test).