The Racial Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in Science Education (RDEISE) project is led and overseen by our Faculty Steering Committee, an interdisciplinary team of top experts.
Dr. Bita Amani, a social epidemiologist, public health practitioner, and Associate Professor at Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science, advises primarily on the learning cluster “Racism as a Public Health Crisis.”
Earlier this year, Dr. Amani spoke to us about her role in RDEISE, the impact of systemic racism on community health, and her role as a social epidemiologist. Today, Dr. Amani shares two of her favorite RDEISE learning resources and what she likes about them.
In this video, Dr. Udodiri Okwandu, (a Presidential Postdoctoral Fellow at Rutgers University and RDEISE project consultant), discusses the benefits of learning about the history of science, what inspired her to study the histories of science and medicine, and how these histories can help us understand the inequalities that still exist in these disciplines today.
“Why is the History of Science Important? is my favorite learning resource for several reasons,” says Dr. Amani. “As researchers and practitioners who base our work on evidence, we have to be committed to knowing how the evidence we generate has come about. The context in which we develop knowledge plays a key role in both the validity and utility of the knowledge we create.
The research questions we ask have everything to do with our world view, and how we see the world has everything to do with our social position and the world we are trying to create. The false notion that there are many human races was not born in a vacuum. It is deeply connected to a political project intent on ranking (and valuing) humans, and the determination of how humans were to be treated as a result.”
To learn more about Dr. Okwandu’s research, read “How the History of STEM Rhymes: A Conversation with Udodiri Okwandu.”
The 19th century was an important period for the development of gynecology as a medical discipline. Physicians like James Marion Sims made important breakthroughs that advanced our understanding of women’s reproductive health. However, these breakthroughs were only possible through Sims’s experimentation on enslaved Black women. The Legacy of Slavery in Modern Gynecology explains the relationship between modern gynecology and slavery in the US, and why it’s important to acknowledge the often cruel and exploitative history of this discipline.
“This, my second favorite learning resource, draws our attention to how social oppressions are intersectional and how racism is deeply connected to patriarchy,” explains Dr. Amani. “The biomedicalization of birth, which is to the detriment of both birthing people and their families, is based on the false notion that pregnancy and delivery is an illness.
Additionally, the quest to develop knowledge within the field of gynecology was based on the racist ideas that Black women could be enslaved and owned and therefore their bodies could be tortured for science. The legacy of birth disparities we see today is based on ideas of racial difference (and therefore inferiority) and the continued attempt to control birthing people’s bodies.”
To explore these assets in depth, check out the learning pathway Racism and the History of Science. Consider signing our equity pledge to show your commitment to removing barriers to success in science for all and subscribe to our newsletter to stay up-to-date with the RDEISE project!
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