Anti-racism Resources
In October 2020, the AAMC released the AAMC Framework for Addressing and Eliminating Racism at the AAMC, in Academic Medicine, and Beyond. Below are helpful definitions, video resources, and examples of anti-racism in practice within the United States’ medical schools and teaching hospitals. Helpful AAMC publications, reading lists, and other resources are also included below.
Racism
“A system of structuring opportunity and assigning value based on the social interpretation of how one looks (which is what we call ‘race’), that unfairly disadvantages some individuals and communities, unfairly advantages other individuals and communities, and saps the strength of the whole society through the waste of human resources.”
Anti-racism
“The active process of naming and confronting racism by changing systems, organizational structures, policies and practices and attitudes, so that power is redistributed and shared equitably.”
— AMA-AAMC Advancing Health Equity: A Guide to Language, Narrative and Concepts
Racial justice
“The systematic fair treatment of people of all races, resulting in equitable opportunities and outcomes for all. Racial justice—or racial equity—goes beyond ‘anti-racism.’ It is not just the absence of discrimination and inequities but also the presence of deliberate systems and supports to achieve and sustain racial equity through proactive and preventive measures.”
— AMA-AAMC Advancing Health Equity: A Guide to Language, Narrative and Concepts
Doing the Work
The AAMC framework identifies several pillars to guide our actions as individuals, organizations, and communities. Below are several video resources about the impact of race and racism across multiple levels and opportunities to increase dialogue and strategic efforts that help organizations to become anti-racist, diverse, equitable, and inclusive.
As a Community
Leading by Example
AAMC-member institutions are developing and leading varied curricula initiatives, equity-centered action plans, professional learning opportunities, and research centers to drive systemic change focused on addressing and eliminating racism in academic medicine. Below are several member examples of current anti-racism efforts.

Research
Boston University
Boston University Center for Antiracist Research
University of Southern California (USC)
Webinar and Training
Emory University School of Medicine
Racism and Social Justice Webinar Series
Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
Anti-Racist Transformation in Medical Education
Action Plans
University of California, San Francisco
University of Rochester Medical Center
Equity and Anti-racism Action Plan
Clinical Care
The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center
Stanford University School of Medicine
Diving Deeper: Other AAMC Resources
The AAMC continues to develop and disseminate resources to transform rhetoric into action as we do our own work to become an anti-racist, diverse, equitable, and inclusive organization and serve our member institutions along their journeys.
- Racism and Health: A Reading List
- “Academic Medicine Podcast”: “Addressing Race and Racism in Medical Education”
- MedEdPORTAL® Collection of Anti-racism Resources
- Academic Medicine: Addressing Race and Racism in Medical Education
- Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Initiatives
- AMA-AAMC Center for Health Justice Advancing Health Equity: A Guide to Language, Narrative, and Concept
- AAMC Center for Health Justice