In an unusual move, more than 1,000 current employees at the Center for Disease Control signed a letter that called for the organization to address and resolve the racism that is allegedly rampant within the CDC.
NPR reported on this story after it found out about a June 30 letter that was sent to Robert Redfield, who is currently running the organization. According to the letter, the petitioners made it clear that the call of equality comes in the wake of an energized Black Lives Matter movement.
The letter argues that the inherent and rampant racism and discrimination within the CDC has reached a point where it is now hampering the organization’s performance during a global pandemic.
The news came as a shock for many watchdog groups because the CDC is notorious for its lack of transparency. Because of the nature of their mission, much of the information that is disclosed to the public comes after intense censorship. Moreover, most of the employees work for decades within the CDC.
NPR reports that the letter was circulated among the CDC’s workforce after it was drafted. Among the 11,000 staff members, some 1,007 employees have signed on to the letter. The number of signatures are said to be increasing as more join and endorse the cause.
As of now, it is unknown as to which employees of the organization has signed the letter. Insiders disclosed that all active employees, regardless of race, were invited to sign the letter.
A spokesperson for CDC confirmed the news, saying that Director Redfield did receive this letter. The spokesperson added that the CDC will always aim to provide an equal and integrating environment in which no one is felt left out.
While the letter did acknowledge that the organization has been taking measures to promote racial equality, it made it clear that the efforts were significantly insufficient. For instance, it pointed out how African Americans only compose 10% of the senior leadership in the organization.
One of the old traditions that has been singled out is a culture in which a manager picks and promote a younger staff into leadership. The letter argues that this method of personal selection has exclusively benefited the white employees within their little cliques.
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Replaced!