In a recent virtual discussion on integrating race, health, and science into the classroom, Dr. Odidiri Okwandu and Dr. Nicole Sjoblom addressed the importance of starting discussions around race and how to integrate LabXchange's Racial Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in Science Education (RDEISE) resources into educational spaces.

Dr. Udodiri Okwandu earned her PhD in the history of science at Harvard University; her research focuses on the history of racial and gender inequities in medicine. She began her involvement with RDEISE as a graduate fellow, and stayed on as a research and content development fellow. Dr. Nicole Sjoblom is the relationship manager at LabXchange as well as a trained scientist and advocate for STEM diversity with K-18 education experience utilizing inclusive pedagogy.

Developed in collaboration with leading scholars and experts, RDEISE guides learners to identify and transform structures that perpetuate racial inequity in health care, education, and STEM fields in the US. It aims to challenge the perception that science is independent of social issues, promotes inclusive and accessible science education, and equips educators with what they need to address these topics in the classroom. The first complete learning cluster, Racism as a Public Health Crisis, is aimed at high school and college learners, and explores the concept of race in the context of science, medicine, and public health.

Watch a recording of the virtual discussion here:

Why should we discuss race in the science classroom?

“It's indisputable that the medical and scientific enterprise have produced immense advances,” noted Dr. Okwandu. “However, just because science and medicine work doesn't mean that we can't also interrogate and challenge the authority granted to it, and understand the ways in which it can also serve to shape the world in perhaps more challenging or less beneficial ways.” Creating a space for discussing race in the classroom thus helps contextualize scientific innovations and discoveries.

Discussing race in the classroom also fosters students’ empathy and a deeper understanding of broader societal implications. “The goal of this project is to really think about the fact that race is not a static category—it's something that has been produced over time,” said Dr. Okwandu. “Once you have a deeper understanding of this history and its implications, students begin to foster more empathy and begin to think more critically about the long-term ramifications of the work that they're doing.”

Resources for educators

Interdisciplinary, interactive, inclusive, and accessible, Racism as a Public Health Crisis connects race with science and medicine to acknowledge and amend the effects of racism and is designed for use in a variety of learning contexts. These resources align with anthropology, biology, environmental science, public health, and medicine course topics and standards to create inclusive learning opportunities. Suggested course integrations include:

Anthropology: Comparing race and ethnicity, understanding race and racism, exploring diversity in human societies, and cultural evolution.

• Why Humans Do Not Have Biological Races (Text)
• How Have Our Understandings of Race Changed over Time? (Interactive)
• What Can At-Home DNA Testing Tell Us About Race and Ancestry? (Interactive)

Biology: Understanding inheritance and the variation of traits, biological evolution and natural selection, and genetics.

• The Evolution of Human Hair (Interactive)
• Human Genetic Diversity is Discordant (Video)
• The Story of Henrietta Lacks: Uncovering the HeLa Cells (Text)
• How Is Human Genetic Diversity Distributed? (Interactive)
• The Role of Evolution in Lactase Persistence (Text)

Environmental Studies: Investigating human impact on the environment, climate change, and environmental impacts on public health.

• Who Does Pollution Affect the Most? (Interactive)
• Who Is Most Affected by Climate Change? (Video)
• How Racism Magnified the Effects of Hurricane Katrina (Text)

Public Health: Understanding health inequalities and disparities, working towards health equity, health policy and behavioral interventions, and social and environmental determinants of health.

• What Causes Racial Health Disparities? (Text)
• How Living in an Underserved Community Affects Your Health (Video)
• Why Should We Care about Health Equity? (Interactive)
• How Can We Solve Issues of Health Inequity? (Interactive)
• How to Combat Health Disparities (Interactive)

Medicine: Discussing medical ethics and bioethics, pre-med coursework, and considerations for individualized medical care.

• How Racialized Medicine Affects Health Outcomes (Video)
• The Legacy of Slavery in Modern Gynecology (Text)
• Culturally Competent Care in Action (Interactive)
• Equitable Doctor-Patient Relationships in Health Care (Video)
• Race-Conscious Alternatives to Racialized Medicine (Interactive)

In addition to understanding scientific and societal contexts, Dr. Okwandu emphasized the importance of encouraging students to examine and understand contributions from diverse racial backgrounds. “At the end of the day, science—STEM—is a collective enterprise. And we want it to be a space in which a diverse range of actors get to work together and collaborate to push the field forward.” Consider signing our equity pledge to show your commitment to removing barriers to success in science for all!

Don't miss our next live RDEISE webinar, "Discussing Race in Health and Medical Education," on Wednesday, August 21, at 6:00 p.m. EST/3:00 p.m. PST!