Message from AAN President: Special Commission Recommendations
November 20, 2020
Dear Members,
Inclusion is the reason the AAN was founded. In 1948, the AAN was created because there was a need for an inclusive organization that would be the home for all neurologists. Inclusion would make our specialty much stronger, and through it our patients would receive much better care.
More than 70 years later, we are proud to share with you how our commitment to inclusion continues with your AAN Board of Directors unanimously accepting the report of the AAN’s Special Commission on Racism, Inequity, and Social Justice, providing an actionable roadmap to be an anti-racist organization as outlined in the AAN’s position statement on racism and inequities in society issued on June 4, 2020.
We firmly believe the recommendations made by the Special Commission will further the intentions of our founders to be a home where everyone feels included and belongs, while still maintaining our core activities—unparalleled education, science, advocacy, and networking that you depend on from the world’s largest association of neurologists.
Specifically, the Board of Directors has agreed to a new organizational goal to demonstrate and communicate our commitment to be a fully inclusive, diverse, and anti-racist organization that promotes neurologic health equity and actively works to recruit and support a diverse membership.
Our core values of Community, Leadership, Integrity, Professionalism, and Respect remain, and we are expanding our Diversity & Equity core value to now include Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, Anti-racism, and Social Justice (IDEAS), in which we commit to intentional action to become a fully inclusive, deliberately diverse, and anti-racist organization that respects and values our membership, our staff, and the communities we serve. We will actively promote equity and social justice in neurology and the neurosciences.
In addition, the Board accepted the following recommendations of the Special Commission:
- Ensure that the CEO and Board of Directors are committed to and accountable for creating an anti-racist, inclusive organization
- Ensure all programming is created and implemented in an anti-racist and inclusive manner
- Educate and train leaders, members, and staff about the nature of anti-Black and other forms of racism
- Recognize the substantial contributions to the AAN and neurology by members who are Black or other underrepresented in neurology (UIN) racial and ethnic groups
- Engage proactively and intentionally in two-way communication with Black and other UIN members as well as nonmembers from communities of color
- Recruit, retain, and promote a racially diverse staff
We would like to thank the members of the Special Commission and the AAN’s Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Joint Coordinating Council for their outstanding work.
To be a fully inclusive, diverse, and anti-racist organization strengthens the AAN, makes our specialty stronger, and most importantly, improves our ability to continue our mission of delivering the highest quality patient-centered neurologic care.
Please look for more progress updates from us in the months ahead.
Thank you for the opportunity to lead our incredible organization—where truly everyone feels included and belongs.
Sincerely,
James C. Stevens, MD, FAAN
President, American Academy of Neurology