Racial discrimination in the workplace as been an ongoing problem throughout American history, and it’s still a major problem even in today’s American society. An example of this injustice happening is in the cardiology workplace. In 2015, the American College of Cardiology conducted a Professional Life Survey that confirms the existence of both racial and ethnic discrimination that cardiologists of underrepresented backgrounds still face. The report stated that although 90% of underrepresented cardiologists are satisfied with their work-life, over 50% of them have in fact dealt with discrimination in their work-life, which is greater than the 36% of white cardiologists that have faced discrimination in their work-life. In 2021, Dr. Kevin Thomas of Duke University Research Institute analyzed this 2015 survey and confirms that the data and facts from the survey still apply to today since there hasn’t been barely any change in the cardiology workforce over racial and ethnic discrimination. Dr. Thomas also stated that there have been calls of diversification and antiracism trainings in the field, but nothing was done to combat this discrimination since the study in 2015 came out. This example perpetuates injustice and inequality because of how many cardiologists from underrepresented backgrounds have to deal with discrimination in the workforce. Also, the fact that the study was made in 2015 and still applies today concludes my point that this example of systematic injustice needs more attention and coverage for the nation. If this kind of discrimination is happening in the cardiology workforce, imagine the discrimination in other kinds of jobs that aren’t getting even covered by any sort of media. Discrimination in the workplace as a whole should be eliminated, and America needs to take steps in order to combat it. Discrimination relates to French writer and philosopher Simone de Beauvoir’s concept of the “One” and the “Other”. Her concept basically states that when comparing two groups in a relationship, one group will always contrast the other due to the inequality in identity. The group that is contrasting the other group is called the “Other” , which is referred as the lesser of the two groups due to inequality. The cardiologists with underrepresented backgrounds are the “Other” group in this whole situation due to the discrimination they face for not being the “One” group, which in this case is being a white cardiologist. Overall, there is clear systematic injustice in the cardiology workforce and change is needed.
https://www.healio.com/news/cardiology/20211018/perception-of-discrimination-common-among-cardiologists
https://www.news-medical.net/news/20211019/Racial-and-ethnic-minority-cardiologists-face-discrimination-analysis-reveals.aspx