The National Medical Association (NMA) condemns all acts of violence and the particular acts of racism, bigotry, and intolerance recently displayed in Charlottesville, Virginia. We are deeply saddened and offer our condolences to all those who were impacted by these divisive actions.
For over a century, the NMA has advocated for equitable access to healthcare, education, economics, housing, and criminal justice for communities of color in the United States. We know that health disparities along racial lines are directly related to the persistence of institutional racism and its effects on communities of color. NMA will not stand silently idle while the health and wellness of this nation is at stake.
The NMA applauds Kenneth Frazier, CEO and Chairman of Merck and other business leaders who have denounced these events for their definitive stance against racial intolerance and extremism. It is this type of leadership that ensures that the future of America is a future that our children can be proud; a future of true equity.
The National Medical Association promotes the collective interests of physicians and patients of African descent. We carry out this mission by serving as the collective voice of physicians of African descent and a leading force for parity in medicine, elimination of health disparities and promotion of optimal health.