Kruse: Diversity initiatives, academic freedom under attack across the US
Dr. Alonzo Kenniebrew was a pioneer in health equity, medical system administration, entrepreneurship and the wise application of knowledge.
The son of an enslaved man, the courageous Dr. Kenniebrew became a surgeon through education at the Tuskegee Institute, Meharry Medical College and Harvard University.
He encountered great difficulty in obtaining admitting privileges to practice at established hospitals. In order to overcome this obstacle, he founded the New Home Sanitarium in Jacksonville, Illinois, in 1909, and thus became the first African American physician to build and operate a private, surgical hospital in the United States.
Annually for the past eight years, SIU School of Medicine has honored Dr. Kenniebrew with the Kenniebrew Lecture, Forum and Conference. Each year, a visiting professor is invited to give the keynote lecture and guide discussions across the institution.
Many other scholars from across the U.S. join us to discuss new knowledge, to exchange ideas and to learn. Indeed, this event, like many others at the school, is a gathering of those with intellectual curiosity who wish to learn and make the world a better place.
The process that occurs at the Kenniebrew event is the essence of the scientific method. This method flourishes when there is encouragement to discover new information, to disseminate and critique such information, to integrate and apply it, to grapple with difficult issues, and to teach the next generation of its importance.
The freedom to pursue the scientific method is a hallmark of academic freedom, a freedom that has led to unprecedented intellectual curiosity and scientific advances in the U.S. Our academic freedom is the envy of the rest of the world.
At the most recent Kenniebrew Lecture on Feb. 8, I noted that academic freedom is now under direct attack.
SIU and almost all other health professional educational institutions in the U.S. have noted the presence of systemic racism and the ill effects of organizational and healthcare inequity.
These organizations recognize clear evidence of overt and implicit bias in benchmarks; in rules, regulations, and policies; in curricula; in committee and organizational structure; and in recruiting and hiring practices. At the School of Medicine, we have developed processes of examination and implemented programs to address these issues.
Attempts to reverse systemic bias are underway. There are organized attempts to shut down the process, to close offices that address equity issues, and to change language and the narrative. It is a response of fear and an issue of control.
There is also evidence of many direct attacks on academic freedom at public educational institutions in the U.S. For example, in Idaho, Iowa, Oklahoma, and Tennessee, bills have been enacted that restrict the teaching of America’s historic racial injustices. Those states explicitly banned instruction of the 1619 Project, a long-form journalism venture that critically analyzes slavery in America.
Some states have broadened the attack. At a meeting in late January this year, the Board of Governors of the State of Florida voted 14-2 to prohibit any spending on diversity, equity and inclusion at Florida public and state universities and colleges.
The board also approved new rules that will remove courses in sociology from the list of general core course options at Florida public and state universities and colleges. The rationale: “Sociology courses do not promote historically accurate and high-quality course work.”
To further constrain academic freedom, university presidents are being released without review, librarians are being fired, books are being carted away, curriculum reviews by state agencies are being required, tenure process are being dismantled, the contracts of faculty members with substantial expertise are not being honored, and the boards of public educational institutions are being stacked with new members who have a mission to promote these assaults on critical thinking.
Collectively, these events constitute the greatest attack on academic freedom and intellectual curiosity ever experienced in the U.S. Collectively, activities that limit academic freedom and restrain critical discourse will lead to a decay of society. Dr. Kenniebrew provides us an example of a constructive response in the face of an adverse action. My hope is that those who recognize this current threat will take the action needed to reverse the trend.
Jerry Kruse, MD, MSPH, is dean and provost, SIU School of Medicine and CEO, SIU Medicine.
This article originally appeared on Rockford Register Star: Kruse: Academic freedom, diversity initiatives under attack
