In Solidarity: A Message to the ACOG Community

Dear Members of the ACOG Community,

We are in solidarity with those among us experiencing racism and injustice: our members, our staff, our patients, our families, and our communities.

ACOG recognizes that racism is a public health and women's health crisis. Recent events are another reminder of systemic racial injustice: people of color are suffering from the COVID-19 pandemic at disproportionate rates; Black and Brown persons face threats to their lives and physical safety for going about daily activities; and Black women experience maternal mortality and morbidity at three to four times the rates of white women. We also know these realities as well as systemic racism impact our staff and members of color on deep personal levels beyond their professional lives.

ACOG is an organization committed to inclusion and equity. We condemn racism and discrimination in any form, including in systems such as law enforcement and health care. As the nation's leading organization of physicians dedicated to women's health, we know that words are not enough. Together, we must work for meaningful change. With respect to our specialty, the unacceptable racial inequity in the delivery of health care led us this past fall to launch our Commitment to Changing the Culture of Medicine and Eliminating Racial Disparities in Women's Health Outcomes. Our work spans clinical, advocacy, and policy contexts and, importantly, requires self-reflection and examination of our own biases and prejudices so that we can then address them. We are grateful for the opportunity to listen to, collaborate with, and lift up the critical work of the Black Mamas Matter Alliance, SisterSong, the Shades of Blue Project, and many others working for racial justice. We are also grateful to the ACOG members who have been part of this work for many years in their communities.

As you care for your patients and communities in the coming weeks, ACOG is here to support you. We are committed to using our collective voices and positions to oppose racism and to bring about equity and racial justice.

Sincerely,

Eva Chalas, MD, FACOG, FACS
President

Maureen Phipps, MD, MPH, FACOG
Chief Executive Officer

Resources

• ACOG: Commitment to Changing The Culture of Medicine And Eliminating Disparities in Women's Health Outcomes
• ACOG Guidance: Addressing Health Equity During the COVID-19 Pandemic
• ACOG: Executive Board Statement of Policy on Racial Bias
• ACOG: Committee Opinion on Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Obstetrics and Gynecology
• ACOG: Racial Disparities in Maternal Mortality in the United States: The Postpartum Period Is A Missed Opportunity for Action (Postpartum Tool Kit)
• ACOG: Diversity Statement For Volunteer and Leadership Positions
• Black Mamas Matter Alliance
• SisterSong
• March for Moms
• Shades of Blue Project
• American Medical Association: Police Brutality Must Stop