Dialogues: USA Africa Dialogue Series - UCLA Chancellor Gene Block: Stop Discriminating and Retaliating Against Dr. Christian Head

http://www.change.org/petitions/ucla-chancellor-gene-block-stop-discriminating-and-retaliating-against-dr-christian-head#

Please sign the petition

It is shameful that a respected African American faculty surgeon at the UCLA Medical Center could be intentionally demeaned based on his race and that university officials could ignore blatant acts of racial discrimination. But that is what is happening at UCLA.

Imagine being graphically depicted as a gorilla in a slideshow photo. That alone is offensive. But the fact that the slide was publicly presented for laughs during an annual medical school sponsored event attended by more than 200 physicians, faculty, residents and guests is both shocking and indefensible.

Not only was Dr. Christian Head's face superimposed onto the body of a gorilla standing on all-fours, but the photo also depicted him being sodomized by his Caucasian supervisor. This, unfortunately, was just one of a series of racially motivated incidents that Dr. Head has had to deal with over the past several years at UCLA. His complaints to administrative leaders at the Medical Center, the University and UC Regents have gone unanswered. In fact, his complaints have spurred additional acts of humiliation, attempts to push him out of academic medicine and retaliation.

The Los Angeles Wave and Los Angeles Times newspapers have written about the vindictive and racially motivated actions that UCLA Medical Center supervisors have taken against Dr. Head, the ONLY African American surgeon in the Head & Neck Department. In fact, Dr. Head is only 1 of 2 tenured African American teaching surgeons in the entire UCLA Medical School out of more than 200 faculty surgeons.

Rather than do the right thing to keep the work environment free from discrimination, UCLA has opted to ignore Dr. Head's formal requests to stop the harassment and retaliation against him. Racial discrimination has no place in institutions of higher education or, for that matter, anywhere in our society.

Tell UCLA to stop the discrimination.

Carole Bernardi
27 days ago
188 people like this reason
In 2004, my husband came to UCLA for treatment at the Head & Neck Department.The first physician he saw was Dr. Gerald Burke. Dr.Burke proceeded to pawn my husband off to a resident with an obvious disinterest in researching & diagnosing why there was a large growth in my husband's neck. If we had accepted his hubris behavior my husband would be dead today. Instead, I marched into the department, complained about his behavior and was assigned to Dr. Christian Head ... who in turn diagnosed my husband with Stage 4 Head & Neck Cencer ... and saved his life. Need we say more?
Alex Oliver
29 days ago
114 people like this reason
Dr. Head is an incredible doctor. I was shocked to see the link to this on Reddit - I've had experience with dozens of doctors over the years and have never been treated so respectfully or have had such efficient care as I had from Dr. Head. His surgery changed my life. When I started hemorrhaging ten days into recovery, he met me at the emergency room in the middle of the night to perform emergency surgery, and wouldn't even accept thanks for it - he felt that it was his duty and that there was nothing special about it. No other doctor that I've ever had has shown that much care for patients. It's unbelievable to me that UCLA can't have even a basic level of respect for any of its employees, let alone one who goes above and beyond in his work.
Aaron Quarles
24 days ago
97 people like this reason
I am a black medical student at Harvard. I too hope to have a successful career in academic medicine. Dr. Head is speaking out to protect not only his integrity, but my future.
Brandon Mahal
24 days ago
95 people like this reason
As a UCLA '09 alum and current 3rd year student at Harvard Medical School, I am disgusted and embarassed by UCLA's handling of the situation.
Denouncing Dr. Head's complaints as "inflammatory" is in and of itself inflammatory.
Thank you for giving me a reason NOT to consider UCLA for residency.
Your embarrassed Bruin
Koritha Mitchell
26 days ago
91 people like this reason
Because black success inspires "know your place" aggression and violence, some of the ugliest racism shapes the nation's most prestigious institutions. You know, the places you're presumably so honored to inhabit that you're supposed to be happy to remain silent about it. I'm happy to support someone who's doing the hard work of speaking out. Any progress made in this country has been because of those willing to do that. It takes a serious toll on the individual and will probably benefit others more than him, so I'm grateful to those willing to do this hard work--in addition to all the other work he's done to become the amazingly accomplished person that he is.