Racism in medicine, science and in medical publishing

Abstract

Black Lives Matter is an activist movement which began as a hashtag (#BlackLivesMatter) after George Zimmerman was acquitted in the shooting death of Trayvon Martin, an unarmed African American teenager killed in Florida in July 2013. Black Lives Matter has evolved into a global movement focused on ending systemic bias and structural inequality, and more recently focused on racism in medicine. As a journal that disseminates medical findings and information, we pledge to play our part in eliminating all forms of racism in science, medicine and medical publishing. As academics and scientists, we need to rise to resist injustice and to rebuild a future that is rooted in human rights and true equality. We must cherish the principles of equality, diversity, globalism, empathy and restorative justice, which have been the foundations of the Black Lives Matter Movement.