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“In the face of adversity, we march on” our piece in @NEJM with @gradydoctor and @FutureDocs where we describe our #WhiteCoatsForBlackLives virtual march that was zoom bombed this past spring.
https://www.nejm.org/doi/10.1056/NEJMpv2026445
https://www.nejm.org/doi/10.1056/NEJMpv2026445
For those of you who have followed @IMPACT4HC and @WIMSummit you may remember this past spring when we hosted a #WhiteCoatsforBlackLives virtual march. We wanted to provide a space for those across the country who could not participate in person.
The day of the march arrived and @FutureDocs @gradydoctor and I were full of excitement, anticipation, and nerves as we started the zoom session, and we saw the number of attendees grow. People of all ages were logging in, and you could almost feel the buzz of energy.
As we began introductions, a strange thing happened. Microphones began unmuting, strange chanting started coming through the speakers, and people's names were being replaced with other names. We started hearing screaming, screeching, and vile images were displayed on the screen
We had been #ZoomBombed and our computer screens were full of racial epithets, sexually explicit content, and through our speakers, we could hear racist screaming and other bone-chilling sounds. Everyone seemed to freeze for a moment, and we tried to regain control of the event.
Our attendees began to chant #BlackLivesMatter 
to try and drown out the noise, and it did muffle some of the noise, but quickly the screaming amplified, and phone numbers and addresses of our attendees began to be displayed on our screens.
to try and drown out the noise, and it did muffle some of the noise, but quickly the screaming amplified, and phone numbers and addresses of our attendees began to be displayed on our screens.
At that moment we realized the event needed to be shut down. Within minutes, @FutureDocs @gradydoctor and I were on the phone trying to process what had just happened. We texted others we knew were in attendance to check-in and make sure they were okay.
We were all shaken, but together, we made a decision. This could not stand. Our goal was to bring people together for a few moments in time. When it felt to many the world was falling apart around them, we wanted to bring some hope.
We recorded a video that garnered over a million impressions. A message of hope, forgiveness, & resilience that reached more than we could have imagined. Thank you @gradydoctor @futuredocs for your mentorship and powerful words that resonate w so many. https://twitter.com/impact4hc/status/1269028859489460225?s=10
