silence is wisdom, but not in all cases...

"you did not know that access to health care was an issue in this country?" this is the reaction i received from david page, outgoing ceo of fairview riverside hospital, when i mentioned that prior to my junior year of college i had no idea that some people did not have health insurance or could not afford to go to the doctor. well, dave, that is what happens when you grow up in a bubble commonly known as the suburbs. people just don't talk about these things.

although i have to say that i do not think this happy bubble is limited to the suburbs -my experience at the school of public health (sph) suggests otherwise. if i was feeling dramatic, luckily for you i am not, i would say that the sph ruined my life. truth be told, i have come out of the school extremely disheartened. public health professionals, as i see it, are supposed to enhance the quality of life for the community and be that voice for people who often go unheard -the voice for those that struggle to access the services they may need. but, in my two years at the school, i can count MAYBE on one hand a professor stressing the importance of community involvement beyond a needs assessment. and might i just add, i WISH at least one professor would have stressed the fact that best practices differ among communities. in other words, get rid of the make them like us mentality......

*sigh*


but then when i think about it, why would faculty even touch on these aforementioned points when they were not even willing to advocate for the rights of their own students. what am i talking about, you ask? the following quotes and instances are examples of institutional racism and/or straight-up ignorance at its finest, and of course, all were swept under some pretty rug collecting dust...still waiting to be exposed in all its ugliness...

1. an email was sent out to a large listserv within the school warning students, staff, and faculty of a theft that had occurred, "please look out for a tall black man."

2. "those rich arab sheikhs come to the mayo clinic asking for golden faucets in their rooms. but they are good for the rochester economy because they leave with cargo planes filled will merchandise. they also give money to mayo, which makes up for uncompensated care."

3. "those native americans, american indians, whatever you call them..."

4. "wow, you speak so well."

5. "i knew someone of your skin color once (white man says to black woman), i wondered why she spoke so well and, when i asked, i found that she was adopted by a white family."

6. "you better keep quiet before your green card turns red."

7. "aliyah, maybe you can give us an international students' perspective."

8. "if i didn't want to work with you because you wore a scarf, i would have to learn and implement ways to ensure that we get along."


those were just a select few things that i could remember -there are more. keep in mind that these quotes indicate what people actually said -they are not 100% accurate, but you get the idea. so, what do we do in those instances such as #1 and #5 when faculty are made aware of the situation, but choose to remain silent? maybe they don't want to involve themselves in the politics of "ratting out" another professor? maybe they just don't care? maybe they care, but just don't know what to say? but what will likely happen, as i have experienced first hand, is that they will brush it off and tell you to "treat it as a learning experience." can i just say, that if this was all wrapped up in a research project, i probably would not be writing this...just a thought.


i'm sorry, but i honestly cannot think of one excuse that justifies this type of silence. the "let us play it safe" silence that inhibits the school from establishing an environment of understanding , ultimately, sending the message that insensitivity, intolerence, and yes, racism is tolerated. disheartened and all, i do value aspects of my experience. ironically, i guess i did learn something. i NEVER want to make anyone feel small by remaining silent on issues that matter most, especially the issues that have and obviously continue plague our country. martin luther king jr. once said: "our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter." this seems so basic, a given if you will, but you would be surprised how many self-described humanatarians (this is not limited to public health professionals) have failed to fulfill the apt phrase spoken by the reverend. inshaa allah, i hope i do not fall into a routine that ends up silencing me.