He Tweeted What????
We want to express again our enormous sympathy for the people of Ukraine who are struggling so valiantly to save their country. Among the organizations that provide help directly to the people who need it are the Ukrainian Red Cross, GlobalGiving Ukraine Crisis Relief Fund, Vostok-SOS, and the World Central Kitchen. The International Rescue Committee and the Polish Red Cross are aiding Ukrainian refugees.
Dear Leading Ladies,
Dr. Jeffrey Lieberman was suspended two weeks ago as chair of the department of psychiatry at Columbia University, asked to resign as the executive director of the New York State Psychiatric Institute, and fired as psychiatrist-in-chief at Columbia University Irving Medical Center/NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital. This fall from grace for the 74-year-old, considered to be one of the leading psychiatrists in the nation and particularly renowned for his research into schizophrenia, came after a tweet that he posted went viral.
In response to a tweet about Sudanese-born model Nyakim Gatwech, he wrote, apparently referring to Ms. Gatwech’s dark skin, “Whether a work of art or freak of nature, she’s a beautiful sight to behold.” He believed his words were complimentary. Clearly insensitive, displaying unconscious bias, and a clear example of the kind of dehumanizing objectification that Blacks have been subjected to for centuries, Lieberman’s comment was offensive, especially for a man in his position. And, by the way, why would he ever think it was a good idea to write publicly on social media about a model’s appearance?
The bigger questions
Of course, Columbia and the Psychiatric Institute were quick to distance themselves from Dr. Lieberman and pronounce their commitment to anti-racism in fastidiously crafted missives. And, to be fair, Dr. Lieberman offered a very expansive apology for his behavior as well as a commitment to learn from his errors.
To merely criticize Dr. Lieberman and call him racist is to miss the larger picture and the more important questions. What we would like to know is this. If Dr. Lieberman, with his alarming ignorance and lack of awareness, was at the helm of some very important psychiatric research, how were people of color represented in that research? How many people of color are employed in the teams he oversaw? Did he do research about how schizophrenia affects populations of color versus white populations? About factors that might affect differences in the rates of schizophrenia between people of color and white people? About the delivery of treatment to people of color, some of whom are wary of psychiatric intervention? And the success of treatment among different populations?
We don’t know the answers to these questions. Perhaps Dr. Lieberman did a great job representing the needs of Black people in his research. What we do know is that, historically, the field of psychiatry has not always been the friend of Black people, claiming at times that black skin was the result of a type of leprosy and that Blacks were too primitve or savage to live independently after the end of slavery.
What we do know
We also know that today less than two percent of the members of the American Psychological Association are Black, that Black people with the same symptoms as white people are more likely to be diagnosed with schizophrenia, and that 58.2 percent of Blacks with serious mental illness did not receive treatment in 2018. (For more statistics and information about treatment and diagnosis of whites vs. Blacks, consult Mental Health America.)
And so this story reminds us that we need to keep asking who will make sure that the needs and interests of people of color are represented equally in the important research into the causes, diagnoses, and treatment of mental illnesses? This is the important question. Not whether one man in the twilight of his career should have his medical license revoked. The tale of Dr. Lieberman, which initially seemed like clickbait folly, is a call for us to continue to pay close attention to the relationship between race and health care in our country and the world.
Please join us tomorrow, Thursday, March 10 at 6 pm at the Cabot Theater in Beverly, for a new Community Conversation, “Coastal Communities Talk Water,” presented by Green Beverly with support from Salem Sound Coastwatch, Sustainable Marlbehead and Ipswich River Watershed Association, and co-sponsored by Leading Ladies. Learn what we can do to support sustainable freshwater and marine ecosystems in our region.
With our hope that the people of Ukraine can live again in peace and freedom,
Therese
Judy
Mary
Beth
Leading Ladies Executive Team
Leadingladiesvote.org
ladies@leadingladiesvote.org