Kneeling in silent protest, UC medical community responds to George Floyd’s death

Eight minutes and 46 seconds.

It’s much longer than one might think when kneeling. That’s what more than 400 medical professionals and students learned June 5 when they supported the nationwide movement, “White Coats for Black Lives.”

Donned in masks, participants fanned out on the steps of the University of Cincinnati’s CARE/Crawley Building in the College of Medicine and kneeled to remember the May 25 death of George Floyd, a 46-year-old African American who died in Minneapolis after Derek Chauvin, a white police officer, knelt on Floyd’s neck for almost nine minutes while Floyd was handcuffed face down in the street.

“We are tired as a people and exhausted and sad, but there is something different about the death of Mr. Floyd that has united the nation, and today is the first step,” said Mia Mallory, MD, associate dean for diversity, equity and inclusion in the UC College of Medicine. “All of us have to be active, and we can’t just use rhetoric, but we have to put words into action. We appreciate the allies we have gathered here today.”

Mallory addressed the audience over a loudspeaker. She urged the crowd to play an active role in solving racial injustice which directly affects the health of patients so many in the medical community serve.

Everyone in the crowd wore a mask and Mallory asked all to turn toward James L. Winkle College of Pharmacy building to kneel.

“Not only do we have our own UC health care community with us, but also neighbors and friends from all over the city and from other health care systems,” said Mallory, who said she was encouraged by the support and solidarity.

She also asked the crowd to remember the words of Floyd's young daughter, who noted, "Daddy changed the world."

“I came here today to stand in solidarity with my classmates and all of our patients that are affected by police brutality and what we call ‘social determinants of health,’” said Malkoun, referring to the host of factors such as socioeconomic status, education, employment, neighborhood and physical environment that determine health outcomes.

These can have as big or an even bigger influence than any sort pill or procedure, notes Malkoun.

 “We are here to demand justice for those who have been wronged by police brutality. We are here to demand equity for those who are treated differently by the systems in the United States for no other reason than the color of their skin or how they identify,” said Malkoun

Chase Steele, a second-year medical student, added he felt future physicians have a responsibility to their patients and colleagues to speak out. “They need to know we stand beside them regardless of what goes on in the world.”

Additional images of the silent protest are available in the photo gallery below.  

Featured image at top: Hundreds from the University of Cincinnati medical community kneel in silent protest in response to the death of George Floyd and many others. They were joined by many from across campus and around the city. photos/Colleen Kelley/UC Creative + Brand