Former CDC Employees Demand Racism Be Addressed
Former employees at the Centers for Disease for Control and Prevention are blowing the whistles on the health institution ignoring racism. According to reporting from Atlanta’s WSB-TV, doctors and a former CDC administrator are speaking out.
Dr. Greg Millett, who spent 12 years at the CDC working in the division of HIV and AIDS prevention, said, “It’s a missed opportunity for CDC not to declare racism on a public health issue… Those who wanted to do more work on race and racism, that work was somewhat discouraged if not did not necessarily get the implicit approval.”
Dr. Camara Jones, who served as the Centers' research director on social determinants of health and equity for 14 years, also added, “You cannot prune the weed; you have to get at it from its root, and racism is the root cause of racial disparities and health outcome.”
Jones stressed more needs to be done than documenting data, “If we want to do something about it, then we can’t just document that these things are happening and attribute the cause to race. No, if we want to do something about it, (then) we need to go deeper and figure out why.”
However, it appears the CDC is having their own internal issues when it comes to race.
Carlton Duncan, a former deputy chief operating officer who spent 35 years at the CDC, claimed he was denied promotions, quit and filed an Equal Employment Opportunity Complaint.
In July he told The Washington Post, “I filed an EEO [equal employment opportunity] complaint against CDC, which addressed disparate treatment when I was passed over twice for the permanent position of chief operating officer. As a functional deputy I expected to have equal consideration for the COO position when it was vacated. … Both times I was not considered for the position.”
Duncan ended up settling due to the threat of pricey attorney fees, which is a decision he now regrets.
“I should have taken it to the administrative judge, let them make a decision. It could have been public,” he told WSB-TV.
The former employees are not just complaining but have laid out demands with “7 Acts of Change” at the CDC, which was published in July by The Washington Post.
● Increasing African Americans among senior leaders and in the leadership pipeline.
● Taking action against the CDC’s toxic, racist culture.
● Dismantling “visible and invisible barriers to career advancement for Black employees.”
● Implementing policy changes holding leaders accountable “for measurable change.”
● Making implicit-bias staff training mandatory.
● Resolving racial bias complaints.
The CDC didn’t address the specific allegations from the former employees but did issue a lengthy statement on October 1. See below:
"The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) strives to foster a fair, equitable and inclusive environment where individuals can openly share their concerns with agency leadership. We are committed to creating a diverse work environment that fosters appreciation and mutual respect for each employee. Ensuring diversity helps create a positive work environment where all employees have the opportunity to pursue their potential and maximize their contributions to (the) CDC′s mission. CDC employees also are encouraged to demonstrate cultural humility in their relationships with those we serve, including in the work (the) CDC does every day with communities disproportionately impacted by long-standing health inequities, which the COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted. (The) CDC’s public health mission and workplace commitment are inextricably linked, and (the) CDC’s leadership team has expressed its strong commitment to promoting health equity through our programs and science. CDC leaders have met with—and will continue to meet with—employees to listen to their feedback and adjust plans, as needed. (The) CDC is using various channels through which to inform and gain input from employees as we move forward on this important work.”
