Read our full petition!

The Petition: Anti-Racism and Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion at the Neuro

The Neuro (Montreal Neurological Hospital and Institute) is a renowned neurology and neuroscience institution based in Montreal, Canada. Founded in 1934, the Neuro has a history of ground-breaking scientific and clinical studies, and became the first Open Science Institute in the world in 2016. Despite its progressive embrace of open science, the Neuro has much room for improvement in aligning its internal culture and atmosphere with this global image. The purpose of open science is to make science more accessible for everyone, not only in terms of scientific findings but also in the scientific endeavour itself. However, at the Neuro, marginalised groups are under-represented at the Faculty level, and are subject to exclusionary practices in the form of microaggressions and harassment in academic and clinical settings.

For the rest of this document, the term “marginalised” refers to people who are historically under-represented in academia and medicine due to their race, gender identity, sexual orientation, or class. These include people who are Black, Indigenous, People of Colour (BIPOC), identify as women or LGBTQ2I+, have chronic illness or disability (visible or invisible), come from low socioeconomic conditions, or have other barriers that are recognised to limit access to opportunities, such as being from rural communities or being a first-generation student. Many BIPOC fit more than one of these descriptors, and we are thus advocating for intersectional approaches to addressing these issues.

This petition is motivated by the lack of a concerted effort to enhance representation and inclusion within the institute. Following the mass protest movement for Black Lives Matter and the death of Joyce Echaquan, the Neuro has not released its own statement of support and commitment for the well-being of Black and Indigenous staff, students, and patients. It has been suggested by some parties that these matters are the responsibility of McGill University and its Health Centre (MUHC), and not the Neuro itself. While it is true that the Neuro falls under the bracket of these affiliations, it is important for anti-racism and EDI plans to be present in all major units of large institutions, particularly if a unit presents itself to the world as a distinct entity, as does the Neuro. Thus, the Neuro must also help to reform and improve its own internal culture.

Given that the Neuro stakes its brand on its progressive Open Science Policy and its core values of accountability and diversity, it is imperative that this institute upholds its responsibility to staff, students, patients, and the public by denouncing racism and discrimination in all its forms. Failing to create a more inclusive work environment not only dissuades talented young researchers from pursuing careers in healthcare, scientific research, and academia, thus losing out on scientific advances that could benefit the global community, but also demonstrates a lack of progress in considering the safety and well-being of its employees and the public it serves.

As the Neuro aims to adhere to McGill University policy, we urge senior leadership at the Neuro to implement measures outlined by the University’s Policy Against Sexual Violence, Report from the Provost’s Task Force on Indigenous Studies and Education, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Strategic Plan, and Action Plan to Address Anti-Black Racism at the Neuro in a deliberate and conscientious manner. While we acknowledge that the current global pandemic places unprecedented pressure on the Neuro and the Canadian healthcare system, given that COVID-19 disproportionately affects marginalised communities and the emerging importance of medical care and research in the public eye, we believe that it is now more important than ever for these changes to be implemented.

Our aim for this petition is to ensure that the Neuro implements its own action plan for addressing racism, equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) to foster a more inclusive and safe environment. We recommend that the Neuro start by following the points outlined below; however, the Neuro must be responsible for creating their own highly-detailed action plan:

Part 1: Release a statement regarding the Neuro’s plan to create an anti-racist institution.

This statement should include the following:
- Address the history and impact of colonialism and anti-Black racism in Montreal healthcare settings.
- Acknowledge the existence of ongoing systemic racism and other forms of systemic exclusion within academia and healthcare.
- Commitment to a 5-year budget that will allow effective implementation of our subsequent points.
- Reasonable timelines for the creation and implementation of anti-racism and EDI practices at the Neuro outlined in Parts 2 and 3. Importantly, this statement should include a commitment to transparency through open tracking and reporting of changes implemented by The Neuro.

Part 2: Understand staff and students’ experiences of discrimination at the Neuro.

Conduct a demographic survey of faculty, staff, and students at the Neuro. In line with McGill University’s Action Plan to Address Anti-Black Racism (pg. 12), the survey data should be “disaggregated to be able to discern the representativeness of specific racialized and ethnic groups (e.g., Black students)”.
Consult its staff and students through online reporting forms where staff and students can anonymously describe their experiences with discrimination at the Neuro. Town halls should be held to seek feedback from staff and students on the current climate at the Neuro.
Utilize the findings to inform the implementation of anti-racism and EDI practices tailored to the experiences of employees at the Neuro. Surveys should be conducted at regular intervals (e.g. biannually) to track the progress of these initiatives.

Part 3: Implement changes to promote anti-racism and EDI within the Neuro.

Publish a detailed plan to address racism and EDI at the Neuro.
Create a qualified and fairly-compensated task force to oversee implementation of anti-racism and EDI policies. The task force should also evaluate the efficacy of these policies in an ongoing manner, adapting them in accordance with improvements and needs.
Conduct mandatory and extensive anti-racism and EDI training for all levels of faculty, staff and students based at the Neuro. This training should cover topics such as implicit bias, systemic racism, and responding to disclosures of racial discrimination, tailored to their specific setting (clinical or academic). Additional training should be provided for leadership and members of hiring committees. As outlined in McGill University’s Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Strategic Plan (pg. 12), the Neuro should “assess the effectiveness of this training through feedback from participants, HR advisors, and academic leaders” and “develop a survey instrument and survey cycle through which to measure staff and student experiences and assessment of respect and inclusion in the workplace. As required, develop plans to address outcomes of concern that are identified through this exercise.”
Develop an improved reporting system to properly document and resolve incidents of racism that occur at the institute. The Neuro should follow-up on all reports to ensure that those who disclose race-based discrimination or harassment feel that their concerns were addressed appropriately. As racism can be both overt and covert, those who are trained to mediate resolutions must have a thorough understanding of the psychological and emotional impact of all forms of racism.
Identify and address existing barriers to equitable hiring practices at the Neuro.
Commit to specific hiring targets to increase representation of marginalised groups when hiring professors, clinicians, and senior leadership, in line with McGill University’s action plans. The Neuro should also help to ensure the retention of successful applicants through the creation of funding, mentorship, training, and networking programs that support and value these employees.
The Neuro’s seminars, named lectures, and social media platforms should be used to champion the research and contributions of under-represented individuals in the scientific community and amplify marginalised voices.
Going above and beyond immediate recruitment, the Neuro also has the expertise and resources for outreach to underserved communities in order to encourage curiosity and scientific aptitude in young people from diverse backgrounds in and around the Montreal area.

We need your support. To sign the petition, please click sign the petition at the top of this page. If you would prefer to sign anonymously, please email neuroedipetition@gmail.com. Your affiliation will be included (i.e. The Neuro/Montreal Neurological Hospital-Institute) but your name will be excluded.

If you feel comfortable doing so, we invite you to email neuroedipetition@gmail.com with incidents of experienced or witnessed racism, sexism, or other forms of identity-based discrimination and harassment at the Neuro. These incidents will be anonymized and, with your consent, compiled and presented to senior leadership at the Neuro to bring awareness to the prevalence of discrimination and harassment at the institute. In this way, we hope to give a voice to those who have felt uncomfortable reporting these issues to HR or security services. We also hope to give current and past patients the opportunity to anonymously bring forward these important issues. Thank you for your trust and support.

Relevant Articles:

"How to better support black trainees in the biomedical sciences"

Written by Angelina Dukes

Published in Nature Medicine on October 15, 2020.

https://www.nature.com/articles/s41591-020-1101-3

“The Path Forward - An Antiracist Approach to Academic Medicine”

Written by Yousif H, Ayogu N, Bell T.

Published in the New England Journal of Medicine on October 8, 2020.

https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMpv2024535

“Dismantling Systemic Racism in Science”

Written by Esther A. Odekunle

Published in Science on August 14, 2020.