Chats for Change | Mount Sinai
Activities that spark conversations.
Below is the Chats for Change fall schedule. If you are a member of the Mount Sinai Health System, you are welcome to join us for these sessions.
Schedule of Events
January 2021
Can Empathy Dismantle Racism?
Empathy is universally seen as a virtue. But what really is empathy and what’s its relationship to racism? Is white empathy attainable, or even desirable? Can it possibly heal? Or spark action? Or does empathy prop up and perpetuate racism? And, if not empathy, what? Join us for a critical dialogue to explore these wicked questions.
Facilitators: Paloma Scott Orozco (MD student) & Dr. Leona Hess
Tuesday, January 5 | 12-1 pm | Join us on Zoom.
In the News
What’s happening? Join us as we critically deconstruct a current newsworthy topic related to racism and bias.
Facilitators: Jenn Meyer & Peter Zweig
Tuesday, January 12 | 12-1 pm | Join us on Zoom.
Monthly Student Healing Circle
All Icahn School of Medicine students are invited to attend this cathartic healing session.
Facilitator: Dr. Leona Hess
NEW TIME: Friday, January 15 | 9-10 am | Join us on Zoom.
National Day of Racial Healing
The fifth annual National Day of Racial Healing is a day set aside to share truth, deepen relationships and build trust in order to create a more just and equitable world. Join the Mount Sinai community in a virtual dialogue about how we heal and learn about the Mount Sinai #HowWeHeal campaign. The W.K. Kellogg Foundation will mark the day with a three-hour livestream event on their YouTube channel from 9 am to 12 pm EST.
Co-hosted: The Department of Medical Education, the Office of Diversity and Inclusion, the Office of Wellbeing and Resilience, and the Office of Spiritual Care
Tuesday, January 19 | 12-1 pm | Join us on Zoom.
Intersecting Oppression: Sizeism x Racism
Part one of the Intersection Oppression Series. Unlike other forms of identity, both race and body size can be immediately used to stereotype folks. What is revealed when we consider the intersection of race and sizes? Where does the preference for thinness come from? Is fat-phobia rooted in anti-Blackness? Does the medical field promote sizeism?
Facilitators: Jenn Meyer (Med Ed Staff) & Dr. Leona Hess
Tuesday, January 26 | 12-1 pm | Join us on Zoom.
February 2021
Unpacking “Positive” Stereotypes
What are positive stereotypes? Is it just a compliment to be labeled as “naturally athletic” or “good at math”? Co-hosted with the Asian Pacific American Medical Student Association (APAMSA), we’ll take a deeper dive into how positive stereotypes are used to minimize the role of racism in the struggles of all racial and ethnic minority groups. We’ll explore how these labels blind us to the true injustices at play.
Facilitators: Emily Xu , Michelle Tran, and Jessica Lee (Student Members of APAMSA)
Tuesday, February 2 | 12-1 pm | Join us on Zoom.
Scientific Racism: How is Race Defined in Science?
Part one of the “Scientific Racism” series. What does race mean and how is it defined in scientific research? Join us as we examine how the definition of race has evolved in science.
Facilitators: Jessica Tan (MD/PhD student) and Dr. Ann-Gel Palermo
Tuesday, February 9 | 12-1 pm | Join us on Zoom.
Intersecting Oppression: Classism x Racism
Part two of the “Intersection Oppression” series. We’ll explore the relationship between class and race and the role of predominantly white institutions in disadvantaging the working class and people of color.
Facilitators: Peter Zweig & Alia Barnes
Tuesday, February 16 | 12-1 pm | Join us on Zoom.
Monthly Student Healing Circle
All Icahn School of Medicine students are invited to attend this cathartic healing session.
Facilitator: Dr. Leona Hess
Friday, February 19 | 12-1 pm | Join us on Zoom.
Back 2 Basics: White Supremacy Culture—How Does it Work?
Join us as we focus on white supremacy culture—a culture that supports the idea that white people and the ideas, thoughts, beliefs, and actions of white people are superior to People of Color and their ideas, thoughts, beliefs, and actions. This ideology is the glue that binds together institutional policies and practices to create a national and global white supremacy system.
Facilitators: Peter Zweig & Dr. David Muller
Tuesday, February 23 | 12-1 pm | Join us on Zoom.
March 2021
Desegregating Care: Imagining an Equitable NYC Healthcare System
What would a desegregated, anti-racist healthcare system look like and how do we get there? Join us for an opportunity to radically imagine a different healthcare system and discuss how we can move our current system toward this vision.
Facilitators: Paige Cloonan (MD student), Emily Xu (MD student), Dr. Leona Hess
Tuesday, March 2 | 12-1 pm | Join us on Zoom.
Scientific Racism: How Scientific Racism Evolved from and Perpetuates White Supremacy
Part two of the “Scientific Racism” series. Where did scientific racism come from and why does it still exist today? Join us as we reflect on how white supremacy has driven the direction of science and continues to do so today.
Facilitators: Jessica Tan (MD/PhD student) and Dr. Ann-Gel Palermo
Tuesday, March 9 | 12-1 pm | Join us on Zoom.
Intersecting Oppression: Heterocentrism x Racism
Part three of the “Intersection Oppression” series. How does identity privilege manifest in being non-white and non-heterosexual? Join us as we critically reflect and engage in dialogue about the relationship between heterocentrism and racism.
Facilitators: Dr. Ann-Gel Palermo, Dr. Barbara Warren, & Edgar Vargas
Tuesday, March 16 | 12-1 pm | Join us on Zoom.
Monthly Student Healing Circle
All Icahn School of Medicine students are invited to attend this cathartic healing session.
Facilitator: Dr. Leona Hess
Friday, March 19 | 12-1 pm | Join us on Zoom.
Back 2 Basics: Anti-Racism—How Does it Work?
Being anti-racist results from a conscious decision to make frequent, consistent, equitable choices daily. These choices require ongoing self-awareness and self-reflection as we move through life. Join us as we demystify anti-racism and examine our mindsets, behaviors and practices that impede us from being actively anti-racist.
Facilitators: Dr. Leona Hess
Tuesday, March 23 | 12-1 pm | Join us on Zoom.
April 2021
Turning Education into Action: Indigenous Land Acknowledgements
Do you know the history of the land you’re on? Join us for a discussion of indigenous land acknowledgments — what these are, why they’re important, and how to think about them in your life and institution. As part of this conversation, we will discuss how indigenous land acknowledgements are practiced in relation to white supremacy culture, racial trauma informed work, and educational spaces.
Facilitators: Brandon Dale (MD/PhD student), DeAnalisa Jones (MD student), James Blum (MD student), Paloma Scott Orozco (MD student), Dr. Leona Hess
Tuesday, April 6 | 12-1 pm | Join us on Zoom.
Scientific Racism: Combating Scientific Racism
Part three of the “Scientific Racism” series. How can we combat scientific racism as individuals and as an institution? Join us as we discuss the intersectionality of science and politics and how to leverage our expertise and position.
Facilitators: Jessica Tan (MD/PhD student) and Dr. Ann-Gel Palermo
Tuesday, April 13 | 12-1 pm | Join us on Zoom.
Monthly Student Healing Circle
All Icahn School of Medicine students are invited to attend this cathartic healing session.
Facilitator: Dr. Leona Hess
Friday, April 16 | 12-1 pm | Join us on Zoom.
Intersecting Oppression: Ageism x Racism
Part four of the “Intersection Oppression” series. Join us as we explore the relationship between age and racism.
Facilitators: Alia Barnes & Jenn Meyer
Tuesday, April 20 | 12-1 pm | Join us on Zoom.
Back 2 Basics: Microagressions—How Does it Work?
Being anti-racist results from a conscious decision to make frequent, consistent, equitable choices daily. These choices require ongoing self-awareness and self-reflection as we move through life. Join us as we demystify anti-racism and examine our mindsets, behaviors and practices that impede us from being actively anti-racist.
Facilitators: Alia Barnes & Dr. David Muller
Tuesday, April 27 | 4-5 pm | Join us on Zoom.
These sessions are intended for the Mount Sinai Health System community of students, faculty, and staff.
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