COM Outlook Winter 2021

10 | DR. KIRAN C. PATEL COLLEGE OF OSTEOPATHIC MEDICINE “I educate myself, show up to protests, speak to others, and spread knowledge.” —Yara Khalifa student Yara Khalifa imagined passing her free time. Yet, it was exactly where Khalifa knew she needed to be. “I am of the strong belief that thought is the weakest way to deal with anything,” Khalifa said. “Let me explain: We will not pray or wish social injustice away. Just like it came about in an ugly way, it must be dealt with in an ugly way. I educate myself, show up to protests, speak to others, and spread knowledge.” Khalifa’s experience in the protest was one of awe and inspiration where unity, diversity, and heart filled the atmosphere. Seeing such strong support further moti- vated and justified the long hours spent for the cause. “Attending the protests gave me a sense of belonging and empowerment to be part of this generation,” Khalifa said. “We are saying this is enough, that we’re not going to just keep creating hashtags. We will shut down I-95. We’re going to scream at the police in riot gear that we want change. We are worthy of justice and basic human rights.” It is the fight for basic human rights that later motivated Khalifa to create an initiative in the under- served South Florida community of Overtown. The city in downtown Miami has long been neglected due to systemic racism destroying the vibrant community in an effort to disenfranchise and resegregate the area. With COVID-19 greatly affecting South Florida, the lack of sanitation and protective equipment targeted Overtown’s predominantly Black, indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC) residents. As Khalifa learned more about the community, along with her grocery drive volunteering at the Masjid Al-Ansar’s mosque—a pillar in the Black Muslim community in Overtown—she learned about a mask shortage and wanted to help. However, due to many of the mosques resistance to helping with her mask initiative because of colorism, Khalifa decided to follow her own life mantra: “I’m just going to do it myself.” Through raising awareness in various channels, Khalifa surpassed her initial goal of providing 1,000 masks—and the mosque’s request of 200. As a result, about 1,200 masks were distributed on the second and fourth Saturday of each month at Masjid Al-Ansar’s grocery food drive in Overtown, with a second mask initiative to follow when the community runs out. The Leader It didn’t take long for the Student National Medical Association (SNMA) to speak out about the recent series of racial injustices. Since 1964, the SNMA has been committed to diversifying the face of medicine by supporting underrepresented minority medical students and addressing the needs of underserved communities. The KPCOM chapter, led by second-year student Nadia Anderson, M.P.H., knew it was important to provide the medical community with imagery to support the fact that racism is a public health issue. The SNMA chapter contributed by releasing a call to action to the KPCOM. The letter discussed ways in which racial injustice can be combated in a collective effort, while challenging readers to speak up when intolerance is occurring. “I have tried to use my voice in collaboration with others to emphasize the importance of social injustice issues, explain their historical origin, and how these deep roots are relevant today,” Anderson said. “I also believe it is important to not only have your voice heard, but to also uplift the voices of those around you. Our call to action was supported by statements from many of our students and contained helpful and informative resources.” The KPCOM SNMA spent most of the summer promoting various campaigns, such as the See Us photo promotion, which gave a platform to those with a perspective/story on inequality. The SNMA’s collabo- ration with DOs Connect launched a diversity forum to facilitate a safe space where students could express their feelings and experiences with racial injustice and support each other via Zoom. By working with other KPCOM clubs, as well as with the NSU-KPCOM Unity Program for Change (KUP), the SNMA aims to further address racial bias and discuss actionable steps toward change. The Connector With COVID-19, police brutality, and a contentious election year leaving their mark on an already unpre- dictable 2020, it’s not surprising that maintaining good mental health was on many people’s minds. STAND TAKING A (continued on page 12)