February marks Black History Month. Throughout the month of February, we will be resharing resources, highlighting books by Black authors, and highlighting the work of Black people who have broken down barriers in the healthcare system.

While we reshare this content, it’s also important to remember anti-Black racism is real, and is still extremely present in the world we live in right now. Especially in the health care system. Black people continue to face systemic racism and harm while seeking care.

This month–and every day of the year—it’s important for us to educate ourselves and share Black history and activism.

It’s everyone’s responsibility to challenge these harmful beliefs, narratives, and behaviours. We need to dismantle the systems that have created this continuous harm and oppression. We can start with ourselves. In closing, we’d like to reshare words from the powerful lesbian poet and activist Audre Lorde.

“Guilt is not a response to anger; it is a response to one’s own actions or lack of action. If it leads to change then it can be useful, since it is then no longer guilt but the beginning of knowledge. Yet all too often, guilt is just another name for impotence, for defensiveness destructive of communication; it becomes a device to protect ignorance and the continuation of things the way they are, the ultimate protection for changelessness.” ― Audre Lorde, Sister Outsider: Essays and Speeches