Addressing Systemic Discrimination by Reframing the Problem

The book introduces and demonstrates the importance of three new concepts in Addressing Systemic Discrimination. These are Focus on the Individual; Evolution of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) to Equity, Inclusion and Individual Engagement (EIIE) and Safe Haven Dialogues (SHD) Reframing Process. The book describes the contributions of Equity and Inclusion in determining the psychological safety of an organization and introduces the Equity-Inclusion Culture Matrix as a tool to assess these cultures.

In the second section of the book, the author presents a case series of Individuals from a wide cross-section of professions including academia, industry, government, and healthcare, who have experienced Systemic Discrimination. The SHD Reframing Process is then used to objectively determine aspects of Systemic Discrimination which are depicted in these cases. A VIP (Victors over Injustice in their Professions) panel reviews issues of Equity and Inclusion and seeks a Better Problem to Solve to achieve the Desired Outcome by Reframing the Problem. Understanding the Aggrieved Individual’s position within the Equity Inclusion Culture Matrix helps to find a Better Problem to Solve.

About the Author

Frank L. Douglas Ph.D., M.D. is the Founder and CEO of Safe Haven Dialogues. Prior to establishing Safe Haven Dialogues, he had spent many years as a leader in Global Pharmaceutical companies where he led teams of scientists that discovered, developed and/or brought to market more than 25 drugs for the treatment of diseases such as Diabetes, Hypertension and Cancer. He was also a Professor at the University of Akron, the University of Chicago Medical School and a Professor of the Practice in several departments at MIT, where he was founder of the MIT Center for Biomedical Innovation.

In 2018, he published his Memoirs, entitled, Defining Moments of a Free Man from a Black Stream. In his Memoirs, Dr. Douglas describes his childhood growing up in poor circumstances in Guyana and the transition to dealing with racism in academia and industry in the United States. He was the first Black to be a member of the Board of Management of a Global Pharmaceutical company. He has received many awards including The Black History Makers Award (2007) and the University of the West Indies’ Luminary Award. Dr. Douglas received a Bachelor of Science from Lehigh university and a Ph.D. and M.D. from Cornell university.

He performed his residency in Internal Medicine at The Johns Hopkins Hospital and a Fellowship in Neuroendocrinology at the National Institutes of Health.