The Oakland University William Beaumont School of Medicine Diversity Lecture Series kicks off Oct 22 with a presentation from V. Thandi Sulé, Ph.D., Oakland University professor, and self-described “critical race feminist hip-hop scholar.”
Sulé’s lecture will be titled “Navigating Race and Equity in Health Care.” It will be held 2-3:30 p.m. in room 110 of Oakland University’s O’Dowd Hall.
Sulé is an associate professor of Higher Education and the coordinator of the Masters in Higher Education program at Oakland University. Through her lecture, Sulé will aim to raise awareness about identity and power in a health care setting.
“The workshop will focus on normalized, taken-for-granted behaviors, and how those behaviors are informed by our discomfort with engaging in critical conversations about the intersection between social identity and access to resources, which includes equitable health care,” Sulé said.
Sulé’s work has included examination of how underrepresented students and faculty contribute to teaching and learning environments on college campuses. Her work has been published in leading education journals such as the Journal of College Student Development, the Journal of Higher Education, Equity and Excellence in Education, Educational Policy, and the International Journal of Qualitative Studies in Education.
Among other things, Sulé said she will talk during her lecture about how documented dehumanization of human beings in the name of medical research helped to legitimize the unjust treatment of African-Americans.
“Because of this unfortunate history, the only thing I want people to take from this session is an awareness of mundane practices and behaviors that hinder inclusion or sense of belonging,” Sulé said. “It’s the first step to deeper conversations about race and equity.”
Diversity Lecture Series presentations are consistent with the OUWB Diversity & Inclusion mission — to facilitate and promote OUWB’s diverse and inclusive medical learning community through pipeline programs, student support and interest groups, educational programs, and community outreach events.
“The series is designed to highlight health equity in medicine and health care,” said Caryn Reed-Hendon, Ph.D., director, OUWB Diversity & Inclusion. “As well as the critical challenges of diversity and focus on innovative solutions and the way we practice in our community.”
According to Reed-Hendon, the hope is that the lectures inspire dialogue among members of the community surrounding controversial and compelling narrative specific to diversity and inclusion in the health care environment and in everyday life. Future lectures in the series are planned for November and December.
Sulé said she thinks the OUWB Diversity Lecture Series is a great idea, and that she is excited to be the first speaker.
“It reflects a commitment to address issues of representation and inclusion,” she said. “All of my scholarship focuses on how marginalized groups access and belong in higher education settings, so I am always excited about facilitating these types of conversations. However, I see myself as simply a conduit or curator partnering with the attendees doing the self and group work.”
Registration for Sulé’s Oct. 22 lecture can be done by clicking here.
For more information, contact Andrew Dietderich, marketing writer, OUWB, at [email protected].
