By Judith Fales and Annette Pinder
In 2020, following the murder of George Floyd, Steven D. Schwaitzberg, MD, FACS, Chair of UBMD Surgery, along with the entire surgery department, decided to bring greater attention to the medical community’s responsibility to address public health, racism, and violence in the U.S. by holding an annual seminar.
This year’s seminar brought 800 people to hear from a panel of experts and Keynote Speaker Brian Williams, MD, a University of Chicago trauma surgeon and professor who has dedicated his career to saving lives in the face of extreme violence. Panelists included La’Tryse Anderson of Buffalo SNUG (Should Never Use Guns); Attorney John V. Elmore; Sherry Sherrill of We are Women Warriors; Chris St. Vil of UB School of Social Work; and Henry Louis Taylor, Jr., UB Director of the Center for Urban Studies.
Each panelist cited social and economic inequities as a root cause of anger and violence. Noting that there are too many guns in America, they spoke about the impact on Black men. They agreed that violence is a community crisis, and that community-based interventions, including better housing, and physical and mental health care, are vital. The panelists also highlighted the work of the Erie County Gun Violence Task Force, which helps individuals who have been incarcerated, and SNUG, which helps reduce violence and retaliation in the 18-25 age group.
Although Dr. Williams’ life has been dedicated to tending to trauma victims, he talked about the incident that changed everything for him. It occurred in 2016, when he led a team of trauma surgeons who treated Dallas police officers who had been shot during a peaceful demonstration against police brutality. Five White police officers died, and it crystallized for him the connection among racism, gun violence, and health care.
Calling attention to the fact that firearms are the number one cause of death among children (especially Black children), young black men, and pregnant women (especially Black women), Dr. Williams says we need to use love as a tool for addressing violence and loss of life. He also believes that open and honest conversations between people from different backgrounds and perspectives are essential for fostering greater understanding.
While acknowledging that differences between people can lead to misunderstandings and conflicts, he believes that by engaging in meaningful dialogue and actively listening to one another, we can gain a better understanding of each other’s perspectives and find common ground. Through these conversations, Dr. Williams believes that we can build stronger, more connected communities, and reduce the likelihood of violence and loss of life.
Dr. Williams’ book, The Bodies Keep Coming: Dispatches from a Black Trauma Surgeon on Racism, Violence, and How We Heal, details the night in Dallas that thrust him into the national spotlight, and the grief and anguish he experiences as a Black doctor on the front lines of trauma care. Learn more about the book at www.brianwilliamsmd.com. Learn more about UBMD’s surgery department at https://ubmdsurgery.com.
