Read on Twitter
3 minutes!!!!!!! Tune in now!!! #BlackInNeuroWeek https://twitter.com/BrielleRyan/status/1288127881592180736
Tune in right now via Youtube (we hit the 500 zoom capacity!!) and follow our panelists!
@dhsmoove_dotcom
@PainGuruDC
@tblizzak
@JordanBHarrod
@oliver_rollins
moderators: @shaineNeuro @Ti_Enjoli
#NeuroRacism #BlackInNeuroWeek
@dhsmoove_dotcom
@PainGuruDC
@tblizzak
@JordanBHarrod
@oliver_rollins
moderators: @shaineNeuro @Ti_Enjoli
#NeuroRacism #BlackInNeuroWeek
"Race is not a risk factor, racism is a risk factor" - @PainGuruDC on how medical settings should frame the impact of a patient's race on their treatment.
#NeuroRacism #BlackInNeuroWeek
#NeuroRacism #BlackInNeuroWeek
Now @dhsmoove_dotcom is discussing J. Marion Sims' refusal to give Black women anesthesia during painful surgeries despite it being available.
(Only just a few years ago did the scientific enterprise defend his statue in Central Park: https://www.theatlantic.com/science/archive/2017/09/an-unfortunate-editorial-in-nature/538998/)
(Only just a few years ago did the scientific enterprise defend his statue in Central Park: https://www.theatlantic.com/science/archive/2017/09/an-unfortunate-editorial-in-nature/538998/)
The Tuskegee experiments have marred the trust of Black people in medicine/science and this has hindered participation of Black patients in clinical trials, furthering disparities in health-related research. How can the scientific & medical communites regain trust?
#NeuroRacism
#NeuroRacism
10-20% Medical students believe Black patients have thicker skin and less sensitive nerve endings. Med schools have to teach and re-teach the racialized programming that students have been exposed to.
#NeuroRacism
#NeuroRacism
Something not discussed often is the trust that religious leaders have earned from Black communities. One bridge for medicine is reaching out to clergy and ministry to provide information and encourage folks to seek medical care.
Many COVID-19 trials have not included enough Black participants. We are amid a current crisis in disparities for the Black community. Medicine needs to understand why this is happening and actively rectify this imbalance.
Reframing violence as a health problem rather than a criminal justice problem. The leading cause of death for Black men ages ~16-35 is homicide.
Why is this only framed through a criminal justice lens? - @oliver_rollins
Why is this only framed through a criminal justice lens? - @oliver_rollins
The work of @oliver_rollins focuses on the neuroscience, violence and race. His upcoming book dives into how the research on these topics are produced.
Are neuroscientists making racist claims? Not necessarily, but there is a history of that, and history informs science today.
Are neuroscientists making racist claims? Not necessarily, but there is a history of that, and history informs science today.
Much of the work that neuroscientists are doing is actually devoid of race, as if it is not a factor. There are several reasons this could be happening, to prevent perpetuation of racism, but also because racial identity is a complex topic that is extremely difficult to capture.
(There are certainly scholars doing this work, but this is a reflection of the bulk of the work)
But by viewing race/violence/neuroscience as too complex, neuroscientists are missing a HUGE gap in understanding the reality of the situation.
But by viewing race/violence/neuroscience as too complex, neuroscientists are missing a HUGE gap in understanding the reality of the situation.
We are seeing more neuroscientific evidence entering the courts, but the influence often happens very late in the process, i.e. after being determined guilty.
A huge upcoming #neuroethics issue is the prediction of violence, recidivism, etc. What do we do with this info?
A huge upcoming #neuroethics issue is the prediction of violence, recidivism, etc. What do we do with this info?
Audience Q: Can a person have neural coding if they haven't interacted w/ Black people before & lack understanding and have implicit biases that lead to microaggressions?
@oliver_rollins : We aren't so different by race that it would be impossible to understand one another.
@oliver_rollins : We aren't so different by race that it would be impossible to understand one another.
Racism is not necessarily rooted in lack of exposure to different races that causes distinct neural wiring, but racism is a societal problem that creates hierarchies based on perception of race.
I'm paraphrasing, but basically racism is embedded in social norms.
I'm paraphrasing, but basically racism is embedded in social norms.
(All of my tweets are paraphrasing...I do not have the skills of our amazing live captioner!!)
Now @JordanBHarrod is discussing how artificial intelligence can perpetuate racism. This can happen at many levels, starting at biased data sets and the models itself.
Evidence indicates that neural networks tend to amplify existing biases.
#NeuroRacism
Evidence indicates that neural networks tend to amplify existing biases.
#NeuroRacism
Case study: AI to determine treatment plan.
Equally sick white and Black patients were much less likely to get personalized treatment.
Key variable: how much money patients spent on healthcare.
Assumption: more money = sicker
Overlooked: Black patients tend to spend less
Equally sick white and Black patients were much less likely to get personalized treatment.
Key variable: how much money patients spent on healthcare.
Assumption: more money = sicker
Overlooked: Black patients tend to spend less
As discussed previously in the discussion, Black patients may spend less money on healthcare for a variety of reasons, including distrust of the healthcare enterprise, along with financial resources.
If this AI is applied, it would perpetuate poor healthcare for Black patients.
If this AI is applied, it would perpetuate poor healthcare for Black patients.
!!! A new definition of fairness is how AI can shift power, not just necessary equal treatment for groups A and B.
@JordanBHarrod
#NeuroRacism
#BlackInNeuroWeek
@JordanBHarrod
#NeuroRacism
#BlackInNeuroWeek
Great point from @dhsmoove_dotcom:
Can the tech itself i.e. a prosthetic be racist?
Neuroscientists are often hyperfocused on tech, and not the context. But disparities in trials and access can be racist. Military and gamers
will get the prosthetic before average Black person
Can the tech itself i.e. a prosthetic be racist?
Neuroscientists are often hyperfocused on tech, and not the context. But disparities in trials and access can be racist. Military and gamers
will get the prosthetic before average Black person
Question from audience: how might the new #NSFGRFP focus areas on AI and computationally intensive methods perpetuate harm for Black communities (like surveillance) and Black aspiring scientists?
AMAZING Q AND EVERYONE SHOULD FIGHT BACK AGAINST THIS @NSFGRFP @NSF
AMAZING Q AND EVERYONE SHOULD FIGHT BACK AGAINST THIS @NSFGRFP @NSF
Tony Black ( @tblizzak) jumps in to address how due diligence really needs to be implemented to avoid false positives and a perpetuation of biases in the AI that is developed and introduced to market.
Teams need to have many balance checks through a wide base of expertise.
Teams need to have many balance checks through a wide base of expertise.
THERE'S ROOM FOR EVERYBODY; FOR YOUNG SCIENTISTS TO BRING DIVERSE THOUGHTS AND BACKGROUNDS FOR AN ALL-INCLUSIVE APPROACH TO TECHNOLOGY.
WE WANT EVERYONE INVOLVED AND ENGAGED - @tblizzak
(all caps are mine because this point is
he was not shouting im just stoked)
WE WANT EVERYONE INVOLVED AND ENGAGED - @tblizzak
(all caps are mine because this point is
he was not shouting im just stoked)
Doctors look at a patient's records to determine their candidacy for treatment. @PainGuruDC considers a person's environment when contextualizing this information, but an AI may not have the same perspective and context.
Who's in the room when decisions get made?
Who's in the room when decisions get made?
Race needs to be a topic that folks are empowered to discuss.
"Oh not race again" is not the response that should happen when this important risk factor is introduced.
More transparency and more advocates are needed!
Thank you @PainGuruDC!
#NeuroRacism
#BlackInNeuroWeek
"Oh not race again" is not the response that should happen when this important risk factor is introduced.
More transparency and more advocates are needed!
Thank you @PainGuruDC!
#NeuroRacism
#BlackInNeuroWeek
On the #SciencePolicy side, @JordanBHarrod's work through MIT focuses on science funding.
The @NSFGRFP's new focus areas probably won't impact Black students that much because the NSF GRFP doesn't historically even fund minority students or schools with many Black students.
The @NSFGRFP's new focus areas probably won't impact Black students that much because the NSF GRFP doesn't historically even fund minority students or schools with many Black students.
In other words, the @NSFGRFP already disproportionately funds majority white students at elite universities, so the harm they've been causing URMs is simply going to be perpetuated and increased. Their new policies don't change much in terms of who they help.
#NeuroRacism
#NeuroRacism
Just did some googling and this report shows that 80% of @NSFGRFP awardees are white. They've already been underserving URMs so what's a little extra exclusion? 
#Neuroracism #BlackInNeuroWeek
https://www.nsf.gov/ehr/Pubs/GRFP_Final_Eval_Report_2014.pdf
#Neuroracism #BlackInNeuroWeek
https://www.nsf.gov/ehr/Pubs/GRFP_Final_Eval_Report_2014.pdf
Pain management has been a huge disparity since ideas rooted in slavery. It is implicitly racist to perpetuate this idea, that Black people can handle more pain.
@dhsmoove_dotcom says to raise questions and not to trust anyone with your healthcare esp if they hold these ideas.
@dhsmoove_dotcom says to raise questions and not to trust anyone with your healthcare esp if they hold these ideas.
Audience Q: Any strategies for having conversations on mental health?
Suicide among young Black men is on the rise. There's an increase of suicides among Black PhD students too.
@dhsmoove_dotcom says to listen+help. Take your loved ones to the doctor. Mental health is health.
Suicide among young Black men is on the rise. There's an increase of suicides among Black PhD students too.
@dhsmoove_dotcom says to listen+help. Take your loved ones to the doctor. Mental health is health.
Audience Q: How does colorism come into play in #NeuroRacism?
(This wasn't mentioned by the panelists but I wanna plug this amazing poem by @jovialjoy)
(This wasn't mentioned by the panelists but I wanna plug this amazing poem by @jovialjoy)
What does anti-racist science look like? Not race-neutral. How do we build anti-racist science?
We need to ask the right questions and check assumptions because racism is embedded in our societal knowledge, it's not necessarily individal racist scientists.
@oliver_rollins
We need to ask the right questions and check assumptions because racism is embedded in our societal knowledge, it's not necessarily individal racist scientists.
@oliver_rollins
Q: What checks and balances exist in a for-profit company to prevent / mediate bias?
@tblizzak says we need diverse datasets and diverse teams building these applications and programs. This is an opportunity for early career professionals in addition to PhD researchers!
@tblizzak says we need diverse datasets and diverse teams building these applications and programs. This is an opportunity for early career professionals in addition to PhD researchers!
What do you think drives people's desires to look for neurobiological mechanism for racism?
@oliver_rollins says this is rooted in a desire to have answers and understand. But there's a profound misunderstanding of how systemic inequality is produced.
#NeuroRacism
@oliver_rollins says this is rooted in a desire to have answers and understand. But there's a profound misunderstanding of how systemic inequality is produced.
#NeuroRacism
Lots of people think racism is an individual thing that is rooted in a discrete actions/behaviors, but a lot of racism is systemic.
It's not racist teachers, it's public school funding that is determined by zip code, red-lined/segregated neighborhoods.
#NeuroRacism.
It's not racist teachers, it's public school funding that is determined by zip code, red-lined/segregated neighborhoods.
#NeuroRacism.
It makes complete sense that people are seeking genetic and neurobiological factors for racism, but this does not actually address or solve the systemic inequalities that are built into how our society is set up that perpetuates racism.
@oliver_rollins
#NeuroRacism
@oliver_rollins
#NeuroRacism
Ooh @PainGuruDC is back! She is chiming in on how we all participate in this system that has systemic racism as a feature, not a bug. Even if all the individual racists are not a factor, the system is still racist and perpetuates racial inequity.
#NeuroRacism #BlackInNeuroWeek
#NeuroRacism #BlackInNeuroWeek
White supremacy is worse than we ever thought it was. It has invaded every aspect of every system in our culture.
There were Black officers that killed Freddie Gray. Agents that work for the system have white supremacist ideology.
@dhsmoove_dotcom
#NeuroRacism
There were Black officers that killed Freddie Gray. Agents that work for the system have white supremacist ideology.
@dhsmoove_dotcom
#NeuroRacism
There has not yet been a new system where Black people have truly equality to replace the system that created slavery and adapted from it. Slavery still exists today.
Read the books that @dhsmoove_dotcom has written on these topics!
(Highly recommend @13THFilm too btw)
Read the books that @dhsmoove_dotcom has written on these topics!
(Highly recommend @13THFilm too btw)
At Tuskegee University they are also producing a peer-reviewed COVID journal. Tweet him to learn more!
@dhsmoove_dotcom
@dhsmoove_dotcom
Subscribe to @JordanBHarrod's youtube channel, she creates so many accessible videos on AI and discusses how it can perpetuate inequity! https://www.youtube.com/jordanharrod
Huge thanks to our amazing panelists!
@PainGuruDC
@dhsmoove_dotcom
@tblizzak
@JordanBHarrod
@oliver_rollins
Come back a few hours later for the #Neuroracism Journal Club where a few @BlackInNeuro organizers have a casual convo!
@PainGuruDC
@dhsmoove_dotcom
@tblizzak
@JordanBHarrod
@oliver_rollins
Come back a few hours later for the #Neuroracism Journal Club where a few @BlackInNeuro organizers have a casual convo!
Disclaimer, I did my best to paraphrase within a character limit and have already found tweets where I wish I captured the speaker's sentiments better. Please dont take my summary at face value, watch the session yourself!!!
I also spilled a full cup of coffee all over my desk
I also spilled a full cup of coffee all over my desk
