AMIA DEI Book Club

Hosted by the DEI Education, Governance and Policy Subcommittee

Join Benjamin X. Collins, MD, DEI Education Co-chair and Peter Kizza, PhD, as fellow readers in the upcoming 2023-2024 DEI Book Club!

Weathering: The Extraordinary Stress of Ordinary Life in an Unjust Society by Dr. Arline T. Geronimus, Little, Brown Spark (Hachette Book Group) 2023

Why Are We Reading Weathering?

Provides a context centered on effects of systemic injustice on health
Gives foundation based on research and suggests ways to make improvements
Provides a framework for a way to think about these issues
May support thinking about informatics from a different and inclusive perspective

America has woken up to what many of its citizens have known for centuries and to what public health statistics have evidenced for decades: systemic injustice takes a physical, too often deadly, toll on Black, brown, working class and poor communities, and any group who experiences systemic cultural oppression or economic exploitation. Marginalized Americans are disproportionately more likely to suffer from chronic diseases and to die at much younger ages than their middle- and upper-class white counterparts. Black mothers die during childbirth at a rate three times higher than white mothers. White kids in high-poverty Appalachian regions have a healthy life expectancy of 50 years old, while the vast majority of US youth can expect to both survive and be able-bodied at 50, with decades of healthy life expectancy ahead of them. In the face of such clear inequity, we must ask ourselves why this is, and what we can we do.

Dr. Arline T. Geronimus coined the term “weathering” to describe the effects of systemic oppression—including racism and classism—on the body. In Weathering, based on more than 30 years of research, she argues that health and aging have more to do with how society treats us than how well we take care of ourselves. She explains what happens to human bodies as they attempt to withstand and overcome the challenges and insults that society leverages at them, and details how this process ravages their health. And she proposes solutions.

Until now, there has been little discussion about the insidious effects of social injustice on the body. Weathering shifts the paradigm, shining a light on the topic and offering a roadmap for hope.

(Source: Hachette Book Group)

Who Can Participate?

All AMIA members are welcome! The mix of members and leaders from across the organization yields a rich discussion and opportunities to learn with and from each other.

The DEI Committee invites members to collaborate and become DEI learners, educators, and champions.

Book Club Schedule

The Book Club meeting schedule is biweekly online meetings. Notes and questions are posted to the AMIA Connect DEI Book Club Community. Join us for thoughtful discussion questions in a safe space to share.

Date/Time	Location	Event
November 14 10:30 – 11:30 am ET	Annual Symposium, New Orleans	Live in-person DEI Book Club Kick Off and Meet & Greet No prior reading required to attend. All are welcome.
November 29 6:30 – 7:30 pm	Online	Online Kick-Off and Meet & Greet:

Additional biweekly meeting dates will be announced for December and January/February 2024.

Join the AMIA Connect Community

It’s easy to join the community. You must be an active AMIA member to participate so don’t forget to renew or join!

Join the DEI Book Club Community

Why Are AMIA Members Reading DEI-themed Books?

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion is a strategic initiative for AMIA. Understanding how the DEI lens applies to the work we do in AMIA as members and volunteers will help us create a more inclusive and sustainable organization. AMIA is a place of learning and community. Learning about DEI and empowering ourselves with opportunities to discuss DEI helps us think and act in more inclusive ways.

DEI Book Club Leadership

The DEI Book Club effort is co-led by DEI Education, Governance and Policy Subcommittee volunteers. Questions? Contact Benjamin Collins.

2022-2023 Book Club Selection

On Being Included: Racism and Diversity in Institutional Life by Sara Ahmed.