Pandemics apply pressure on every weakness in our society. COVID-19 has been no different. In addition to the pressing health crisis it presents, it challenges the foundations of our economy, undermines our sense of community, and it makes stark the inequities in our society. 

The violent death of George Floyd in Minnesota has shown that anti-Black violence won’t be quarantined by a pandemic. It is one more reminder of the deadly consequences of hate and racism. We have seen COVID-19 be coopted to perpetrate hate against members of Asian communities. And, we have also seen how COVID-19 yet again reveals the inequitable healthcare provided to Canada’s Indigenous populations and the pre-existing pandemic of violence against women in our country. 

As a University, we stand in solidarity with U of T’s Black community members. As a Faculty, we are committed to doing better to address the underrepresentation of Black physicians in medicine. And, as health leaders, we must confront racism for the epidemic it is. 

Now is the time for those with privilege and power to share them with those who do not. We need to lift the voices of those least heard. We need to empower communities who are too often marginalized. And, we must ensure equity so that ensure every individual can flourish. We don’t get to wait until the pandemic is over to address these challenges. 

In the face of this adversity, we must rise to meet the needs of this occasion and demonstrate our strength. We can do that if we educate ourselves, understand why diversity matters, commit ourselves to action, and support ongoing diversity and inclusion initiatives in the Faculty of Medicine. As a community, let our actions guide the changes that are necessary in our society. We will do so with compassion, with professionalism, and with an eye to achieving a better future for all. 

Trevor Young
Dean, Faculty of Medicine
Vice Provost, Relations with Health Care Institutions 

Lisa Robinson
Associate Dean, Inclusion and Diversity