Duke Health reverses ‘anti-racism’ pledge

Duke Health has revised the language of its institutional pledge, replacing its previous commitment to stand “against racism, bias, and hate” with a broader affirmation that it stands “for civility, humanity, and compassion.” The change has prompted praise from the James G. Martin Center for Academic Renewal. 

In a press release issued July 2, the Martin Center welcomed the revision as a significant departure from what it called Duke’s “identity-based activism.” The organization calls this reversal a win for Duke patients, doctors, and medical students. 

Jenna Robinson, president of the Martin Center, stated that “individual rights and equal opportunity rest on an understanding of our shared humanity and dignity as individuals.” 

Physician’s critique sparks controversy

The pledge change follows earlier controversy surrounding a 2023 op-ed authored by Dr. Kendall Conger, a former Duke Health physician, who publicly criticized the prior language. 

Conger described Duke’s antiracism statement as “politicized content wrapped in the language of compassion,” and argued that it pushed a “collectivist vision of fairness,” inconsistent with medical science.

“Duke Medicine was presuming to make a political assertion on behalf of its employees, who were in no position to push back,” Conger wrote. “They were acting politically under the guise of medical science.”

Questions went unanswered

In his op-ed, Conger also revealed that he had directly challenged the scientific basis of Duke’s messaging. Specifically, he asked those who signed the pledge to share the data supporting their claim that “racism is a public health crisis.” According to Conger, they had nothing to give him.

Conger continued to question Duke’s leadership about the evidence behind their claims. After receiving no response for months, he published the op-ed to voice his concerns publicly.

Shortly after the publication of the op-ed, Conger was terminated from Duke Health. The institution cited “lack of collegiality” as the reason for his termination, but the Martin Center suggested that the firing may have been politically motivated.

Now, with Duke’s revised pledge emphasizing universal values like compassion and civility, the Martin Center views the shift as a positive course correction. 

“It is heartening to see Duke’s return to shared principles that unite rather than divide,” Robinson stated in the release. 

Past Race-related controversies in NC medicine

In 2024, a surgeon from Duke, Vignesh Raman, described during a presentation his “heart sinking” at the thought of administering care for people “in the South” or when he considers that many patients might be conservative.

In the same presentation, Raman outlined the “systemic changes” that Duke made to the recruitment process to achieve a more diverse profile of doctors, to include the use of “holistic” practices when reviewing candidates rather than referring to their metrics.

Video of these claims were deleted from the Duke Health website, but reaction to this controversy came quickly, after an article from the Daily Wire went viral.

Congressman Dan Bishop, R-NC, who ran for NC Attorney General in 2024 and lost to Jeff Jackson, replied to the post, making clear that he would investigate policies of this nature.

The law on this is very clear, and it will be enforced. https://t.co/ZAu4HVV2tf

— Dan Bishop (@danbishopnc) February 27, 2024

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