ARCC Blog

It is vitally important for us, as a society, to encourage Black people, and more specifically Black women, to pursue careers in healthcare. Dr. Tamika Lasege discusses her experiences as a Black female doctor and how Black people are treated in healthcare during the podcast episode.

I am beyond eager to see what this summer has to offer both me and ARCC. My hope for this summer is this crew of interns and passionate staff makes this organization something bigger than any of us could imagine.

“Do you think a Black person can be racist to a white person?”. This is a question that fascinated me during my freshman year of college.

“Don’t let anybody, anybody convince you this is the way the world is and therefore must be. It must be the way it ought to be.” These simple yet impactful words by Toni Morrison from, The Source of Self Regard perfectly, yet plainly depict the convictions of those on the mission of committing to anti-racist advocacy.

Growing up in rural Pennsylvania, the son of an educator, I have seen firsthand a system ravaged by underfunding, prejudice, and racism. But ARCC gives me hope. This kind of movement can change the future, not just locally, but across the nation, and the world.

In his 1955 collection of essays, titled Notes of a Native Son, James Baldwin states “I love America more than any other country in this world, and, exactly for this reason, I insist on the right to criticize her perpetually.” This quote has given me faith and drive since I heard it first, in my 8th grade Social Studies class, in video clip form.

Despite significant progress, systemic racism remains deeply entrenched in American society. The Black Lives Matter movement, ongoing protests against police brutality, and disparities in healthcare, education, and economic opportunities all point to the persistent inequalities that undermine the ideals of July 4th.

Because of ARCC’s course, I have learned so much from the course material and I have had the opportunity to hear from so many people with different backgrounds about their own personal experiences and stories.

Fredrick Douglass gave a speech on July 5th, 1852 entitled “What to the Slave is the Fourth of July?”. In this speech, he criticizes the way American ideals of independence only apply to White people.

As we all know July 4th, 1776, was the day the US signed the Declaration of Independence from Britain. It was declared that the American people had gained Independence from British rule. That’s great and all…but what about the Black American people who were still enslaved by their other White American counterparts?