[Past Project] Sunday Dinner Series: Race and Medicine

There is a strong intersection between race and science, particularly in the US, yet it is rarely acknowledged. This intersection, however, carries great implications. People of color and underserved populations receive a lower quality of care in healthcare settings and have historically been taken advantage of. Due to this, there is a lack of trust between these populations and healthcare professionals. It is necessary for students interested in science-based careers to consider how race will affect us throughout our careers and how we can address the concerns of people of color with regard to their health. However, these topics are rarely addressed in science classes here at Columbia. The Sunday Dinner Series seeks to fill this gap by creating a laid-back forum for people to discuss different intersections between race and science. It is a series of six dinners, two in the fall and four in the spring, hosted once a month in order to address topics such as Institutional Racism and Health Outcomes, The Epidemic of Gun Violence and Police Brutality, and The Stigma of Mental Health in Underserved Populations.