Navigating and Supporting Marginalized Identities in Dominant Pharmacy Spaces

Abstract

Implicit or unconscious bias is one the significant contributors to inequalities. Implicit bias is a common occurrence in our society that leads to discrimination in many different institutions at various levels. If we do not mitigate our bias, we risk perpetuating inequalities in our organizations. This self-reflection reviews, in a 3-part manuscript, some of the most important issues and challenges in navigating and supporting marginalized identities in dominant spaces.
 Part I of the manuscript focuses on the implicit bias manifestations and the importance of self-awareness in promoting inclusivity. One of the ways in which we can create, promote, and sustain interpersonal inclusivity in our organizations is to prepare for microaggressions before they arise. Microaggressions are the common, persistent slights that non-dominant groups in our society face on a daily basis. Another way to promote inclusivity is to explore our identities to promote self-awareness and find common-ground to mitigate microaggressive behavior.
 This manuscript is written for three reasons. One, to provide guidance on how to navigate our marginalized identities. Two, this manuscript provides guidance on how to navigate our dominant identities. Three, this manuscript fills a gap in the field related to the experiences of those among us with marginalized identities. This autoethnography or self-reflection will help to empower not only myself but others, especially those of us at the margins (e.g., people of color, women, non-Christians, the LGBTQ community). 
 
 Article Type: Commentary

Addressing the Need for Ethnic and Racial Diversity in the Pipeline for Pharmacy Faculty

“…Black faculty members that are recruited from diversity initiatives may be tokenized as the first or only Black faculty perspective in the history of the program. 2 Untenable climates plus a lack of mentorship can create unforeseen barriers to promotion. The absence of shared perspectives might silence Black faculty voices, creating hostile work environments that hinders Black faculty retention.…”

Structural Racism and Supporting Black Lives – A Pharmacist’s Vow amid COVID-19

“…Cultivating an understanding of structural inequities (e.g., redlining, Jim Crow, 13 th amendment) to identify the unequal distribution of the social determinants of health (e.g., neighborhood demographics, safety, incarceration) will mitigate pharmacist bias and provide them with the capacity to accurately respect and protect all personal and health information. [28][29][30][31] ). They should also push for forward-thinking partnerships with corporate entities such as hotels that might be relied upon to isolate employees if they become COVID-19 positive, simply prefer to stay closer to work in order to reduce their public transit use, and/or choose to avoid the risk of unknowingly infecting their families.…”

“…Cultivating an understanding of structural inequities (e.g., redlining, Jim Crow, 13 th amendment) to identify the unequal distribution of the social determinants of health (e.g., neighborhood demographics, safety, incarceration) will mitigate pharmacist bias and provide them with the capacity to accurately respect and protect all personal and health information. 28 - 31 …”

Five Essential Steps for Faculty to Mitigate Racial Bias and Microaggressions in the Classroom

“…7 This alienates individuals who are racial/ethnic minorities, making them feel invisible, and also inherently validates the ingrained biased perspectives and social norms. 14…”

“…Students historically navigate through these isolating experiences alone or through leaning on one another through systems of social support, but faculty also have an opportunity to work to improve the classroom environment through intentional efforts to reduce the dissemination of bias. 7,14 This paper aims to suggest actionable strategies pharmacy educators may use to mitigate or prevent the microaggressions triggered by these negative classroom experiences. The perceived biases and microaggressions described in this paper have been exhibited by well-meaning educators and genuinely nice people.…”