Amarachi Orakwue

How did you feel when you first learned of what happened to George Floyd on May 25, 2020?              
I was hurt, disgusted and appalled, though not surprised to learn that another Black person had died at the hands of a police officer. 

Did you view the video? If so, what emotions and thoughts did you have upon seeing the video?

I felt deep anguish for George Floyd who had to endure such horrendous terrors from a fellow human being. I was moved to tears hearing Floyd beg for his life and call out to his mother. I also felt a mix of sorrow, anger and bewilderment at Chauvin’s complete disregard of Floyd’s life. 

 How did you feel when the Derek Chauvin verdict was announced?

I felt that justice was not swift enough. It was troubling to witness and read about some people debating and devaluing Floyd’s life due to their flawed concept of race. I was glad that Floyd’s family received the justice that they deserved.

What actionable steps have you taken since the murder of George Floyd?

Floyd’s death brought about a national reckoning of systemic racism. Following his death, some of my friends (premedical students at that time, now medical students) and I created a social justice club with other professional students where we discussed addressing health care disparities and the current social climate. We also had conversations with our physician mentor on how we could mitigate such disparities as medical students and physicians. Through this club, we began mentoring underrepresented premedical students to support health care disparities mitigation efforts and diversifying the medical profession.