Black chiropractors, international association cites 92% whites in calling for diversity

Black chiropractors make up 2.3% of the industry population

This month a joint report from the American Black Chiropractic Association (ABCA) and the International Chiropractors Association (ICA), “Advancing Diversity as We Advance the Chiropractic Profession,” was announced during the Semi-Annual Meeting of the Council on Chiropractic Education (CCE).

The report calls for increasing diversity through engagement with academic program accreditation organizations, citing 2.3% black chiropractors in the U.S. serving a Black/African population in the U.S. of 13.8 percent, according to the 2018 U.S. Census. The report also stresses diversity trends, noting that “more children in the United States under the age of five years of age [are] minorities rather than white, while the overall chiropractic profession in the U.S. is 92% white.”

From health care stakeholders the report notes that there is a call to achieve greater racial diversity in health professions across the board, including chiropractic, and the social and health-promotion reasons for removing racial barriers within the chiropractic profession. U.S. Workforce Project data indicates the demand for chiropractors will increase 3-7% by 2030, but that a 26% growth rate is needed to meet the projected demand.

Colleges taking diversity measures

Several chiropractic colleges, according to the study, have taken specific measures to increase diversity: in 2011, Texas Chiropractic College (TCC) entered into a 3+3 agreement with Dillard University, a historically black university in which students attend Dillard for three years, and TCC for three years. Upon completion, the students receive a Bachelor’s degree from Dillard and a chiropractic doctorate from TCC. And in 2019, Logan Chiropractic College entered into a 3+3 agreement with Grambling State University, an historically black university similar to the TCC-Dillard agreement.

“In other professions, including the physician workforce, achieving diversity remains a challenge,” said Past President of the American Black
Chiropractic Association, Winston Carhee, DC, in January of this year. “Both public and private institutions are making investments in programs to continue to improve diversity in the health care workforce. However, there is insufficient evidence regarding programs and best practices…Greater diversity in the health workforce is critical to improve health care delivery for an increasing diverse population.”

Strategies to recruit minorities

At a January 2019 meeting the ABCA requested the CCE develop and support opportunities in chiropractic admission criteria not only focused on grade point average, test scores, or time to complete a program, but to allow consideration of minority students’ experiences and attributes. The ABCA also requested the CCE create and support policies and practices that help to develop strategies to recruit minority faculty members to match the population needs, and to develop college environments that better support students of color and focus on minority recruitment efforts.

The study “Advancing Diversity as We Advance the Chiropractic Profession,” was authored by President of the American Black Chiropractic Association Quentin M. Brisco, DC; Immediate Past President of the ABCA Winston Carhee, DC; President of the International Chiropractors Association Stephen P. Welsh, DC, FICAP; and Director of Government Relations, ICA, Beth Clay.

To read the report in full go to www.chiropractic.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/FINAL-ABCA-ICA-CCE-Advancing-Diversity-Report-7-9-19-FINAL-copy.pdf.