A letter from ABCA to members and students

To our members and students,

The members of the American Black Chiropractic Association (ABCA) are an integral
part of the communities affected by the movement started by the senseless death of Mr.
George Floyd. The ABCA wholeheartedly condemns the actions of the Minneapolis
police officers involved in this tragedy. We also wholeheartedly accept the joining of all
nations in protest against the systemic racial bias that has led to this injustice.

As doctors working in communities that treat a majority of people of color, we are
reminded that racism is still deeply rooted in our society. We are seeing patients that
have a roller coaster of emotions from outrage, distrust, anger, frustration, and sadness.

As Doctors of Chiropractic, our mission is to improve the overall health of our patients.
Sadly, we are having to deal with chronic emotional stress before we address the very
reason they come to our offices.

The ABCA realizes we have a special place in the history of chiropractic, just as African-Americans have a special place in the history of this country. Despite those that do not see diversity as the beauty of our country, our organization is determined to make sure we do our part in developing strong doctors to be leaders in an emerging multicultural healthcare system. With the COVID-19 pandemic that has plagued our world and more specifically communities of color, the need for diversity in our healthcare system has become more evident.

The ABCA recognizes that to have change, there must be a change agent. It is our hope that the current international protests of Mr. Floyd’s death brings needed change to many American systems, but especially, our law enforcement. We have a familiar passage in chiropractic that says, “symptoms are only the tip of the iceberg and we must treat the underlying cause.” We see the underlying cause of disparities in healthcare, education, government, and law enforcement as systemic racism. If we are going to be the true melting pot of the world and have equality for all that abide within, then racism has no place in our culture.

The ABCA is encouraging our members to have healthy conversations with our patients
about their mental health during these challenging times. We also encourage our
members to seek positions of leadership within our professional associations and
educational institutions to promote cultural diversity, inclusion, and equity.

Innately,
ABCA Executive Board
Quentin M. Brisco, DC
President