June 29, 2020

On June 2, the American Podiatric Medical Association issued a statement condemning racism and violence in the United States. Since that time, APMA has had many productive conversations with members and leaders within the organization regarding racism. We empathize with the pain, fear, and anxiety that so many of our Black members, leaders, and patients experience every day. While we will never understand the full extent of their experiences, we are committed to listening, educating ourselves, and doing the work to end inequality. APMA stands in solidarity with our Black members, leaders, and patients. We want them to know that Black lives  do matter.

Our discussions have resulted in new ideas about how to advance APMA’s commitment to ending health-care disparities and how to promote inclusivity and diversity. Among these ideas are several that APMA plans to pursue in the coming months:

• Explore recruiting methods to attract prospective students who are in a socially disadvantageous position as well as students enrolled in Historically Black Colleges and Universities.
• Provide additional educational opportunities for members on topics such as racism, implicit bias, and health-care disparities.
• Extend previously conducted research on diversity within the podiatric medical profession including among our applicants, students, residents, fellows, and established members.
• Continue to extend invitations to a diverse group of speakers at our Annual Scientific Meeting.
• Investigate opportunities to collaborate with like-minded organizations to address racism and health-care disparities.

We unequivocally condemn all acts of racism, bigotry, and systemic inequality based on race, sexual orientation, or religion in America and in our health-care system. We appreciate the diversity of our communities—including Asian, Black, Indigenous, Latinx, and LGBTQ+ people.

We invite and encourage APMA members to continue to engage us with questions, concerns, and new ideas. We are listening. These are not easy conversations, but they are invaluable as we move forward together to create change.

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