June 05, 2020
Natalie Hope McDonald/For PhillyVoice
Health care workers and staffers at Magee Rehabilitation Hospital in Philadelphia kneel in remembrance of George Floyd, a black man who died after a Minneapolis police officer knelt on his neck for nearly nine minutes.
Philadelphia-area health care workers kneeled for nearly nine minutes Friday afternoon as part of a nationwide demonstration against police brutality and racism.
The "White Coats for Black Lives" protest played out at locations across the Philadelphia region, with doctors, nurses and other providers demanding justice for George Floyd, a black man killed by Minneapolis police.
Health care providers temporarily left their positions to at 1 p.m. to kneel for 8 minutes and 46 seconds, the amount of time that former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin spent kneeling on Floyd's neck. The symbolic gesture is one that has been adopted by protesters across the United States.
Chauvin has been charged with second-degree murder; three other officers also face charges.
At Franklin Field, employees from the University of Pennsylvania Health System and the Children's Hospital of Pennsylvania joined together in protest.
Temple University Hospital, Jefferson Health and Magee Rehabilitation providers stepped outside their respective facilities to participate. And many providers in South Jersey joined in too.
Dr. Angela Skrzynski addressed the connection between systemic racism and role of health care providers in remarks delivered as part of Virtua Voorhees Hospital's remembrance.
"As physicians, it is our duty to ensure the health of our patients," Skrzynski said. "We have to stand up against anything that threatens their wellbeing. The health disparities that emerge as a result of systemic racism and discrimination are no exception."
Here are a collection of tweets from the demonstrations.
Kneeling for 8:46 with an incredible number of friends and colleagues from @ChildrensPhila and @PennMedicine
— Sage Myers, MD MSCE (@Redsoxma) June 5, 2020
We recognize racism as a major public health threat and pledge to work to #end racism #WhiteCoatsForBlackLives #WhiteCoatsForBlackLivesPhilly#PHLendracism pic.twitter.com/2NL7UUsKex
Black Lives Matter. That’s it. That’s the tweet. #WhiteCoatsForBlackLivesPhilly pic.twitter.com/lCW7P05NI0
— Scott Charles (@TheScottCharles) June 5, 2020
Doctors, nurses and other healthcare workers here at Temple Hospital and across the Philadelphia just kneeled for 8:46 in “recognition of racism as a public health crisis and commitment to racial justice.” #whitecoatsforblacklivesphilly pic.twitter.com/DGGp1JBDNi
— Jim MacMillan (@JimMacMillan) June 5, 2020
white coats for black lives at @JeffersonUniv. so proud to be part of a community where faculty, students, and staff come out for what's right. joined by @FouquerelL and @215RyanBrooks among many others! pic.twitter.com/IAw6RDnQX5
— Tim Mosca (@drosophilosophy) June 5, 2020
Gathered today with medical students, residents, nurses, doctors and many others to honor the memory of George Floyd and stand up for racial justice in health care and everywhere #WhiteCoatsForBlackLives #WhiteCoatsForBlackLivesPhilly pic.twitter.com/VXYz0aFI7A
— Rhea Powell (@RheaEPowell) June 5, 2020
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