Antiracism Committee
Co-Chair Hannah Larsen, MD
Visit: MPS Resource Guide for Anti-Racism Action
History & Mission:
The MPS Antiracism Committee was established in 2020 and has continued with a mission to inspire and facilitate individual, organizational, and systemic action to dismantle racist structures and adjacent forms of oppression while promoting equity and socioeconomic justice within psychiatry and our communities.
The Antiracism Committee aims to collaborate and coordinate with other committees with shared goals in order to enrich our perspectives and broaden our impact as an organization, and we welcome attendance from other committee leadership at our meetings to discuss collaborative efforts.
June 2025 Committee Report:
The MPS Antiracism Committee was established in 2020 and has remained focused on our mission to inspire and facilitate individual, organizational, and systemic action to dismantle oppressive practices that impact mental health while promoting equity and socioeconomic justice within psychiatry and our communities. We meet on the 1st Thursday of every month. Our goals are to advocate for systemic changes to eliminate inequities within our mental health and substance use system; build partnerships with other organizations and efforts; promote equity within MPS activities; facilitate professional development, mentorship, and support of colleagues; and increase engagement in MPS antiracism efforts/activities. Our committee, under the leadership of Adeliza Olivero, has initiated legislative action to abolish the practice of shackling and criminal court involvement inherent in Section 12(e) of Chapter 123 via An Act relative to a humane response to a mental health crisis. Marie Hobart has continued to spearhead the MPS Mentorship Program, which has matched 26 mentees since March 2023. We are actively planning our next Spotlight On series on protecting and supporting immigrants within the health system. We invite participation from trainees interested in being paired with a faculty mentor to curate a curriculum and host a live discussion on a topic of interest. Our next meeting will be July 3. We welcome all looking to learn, seek solidarity, or take action.
Articles:
- Benjamin Rush and the Negro by BETTY L. PLUMMER
- Beware of Whites Bearing Gifts by GERALD MELCHIODE, M.D., SAM C. GOULD, M.D., AND PAUL JAY FINK, M.D.
- Research and Careers for Blacks by CHESTER M. PIERCE, M.D.
- Dimensions of Institutional Racism in Psychiatry by MELVIN SABSHIN, M.D., HERMAN DIESENHAUS, PH.D., AND RAYMOND WILKERSON, M.D.
- Problems of Black Psychiatric Residents in White Training Institutes by BILLY E. JONES, M.D., ORLANDO B. LIGHTFOOT, M.D., DON PALMER, M.D., RAYMOND G. WILKERSON, M.D., AND DONALD H. WILLIAMS, M.D.
- Reflections on Racism by CHARLES PRUDHOMME, M.D.
- The Social Psychiatry of Frantz Fanon by PAUL L. ADAMS, M.D.
- Structural racism is why I’m leaving organized psychiatry by RUTH S. SHIM
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