Public Art and Community Dialogue Program

In 2020, Fred Hutch raised our banners and flags in support of the social movement that affirms the value of Black life and resists violence and terror against them. Our commitment is expressed in our Statement in Affirmation of Black Lives. This guiding statement is also a call to action and accountability for us, as we stand and work in solidarity with our Black identifying employees and neighbors.

Racism is a public health crisis that we do not ignore in our mission to find cures. We recognize the impact of white supremacy on Black people from the foundation of our country and health systems to the present moment in which the struggle for freedom and dignity remains the paramount concern for the Black community. We desire to be in solidarity with the Black community to resist oppression, anti-Black racism in all its forms, and to honor the humanity of Black people in our scientific excellence as a central feature of our anti-racist efforts.

In response to the guidance of the Duwamish, Fred Hutch practices the use of a Land Acknowledgment at the start of all our important meetings. This is not a rote practice, but an opportunity for us to honor the first people of this land and recognize the historical context in which we find ourselves.

The history of colonization has not ended. Further, we see the consequences of colonization on land, people, and in science. Indigenous people are underrepresented in clinical trials and other research, and in the community of scientists and care providers in the healthcare system. Indigenous people are disproportionately impacted by most of society’s ills, including institutional violence and COVID-19. We want to pursue relationship and solidarity with the land and people that resists colonial impacts and repositions us as conscientious guests and neighbors.