“Make a career of humanity. Commit yourself to the noble struggle for equal rights. You will make a better person of yourself, a greater nation of your country, and a finer world to live in.” -- Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Dear UCSF Community,

As we enter 2022 with the coronavirus pandemic surging and racial injustice rampant within our country, the Martin Luther King, Jr. federal holiday offers us the opportunity to reflect on Dr. King’s legacy and gain strength from the knowledge that we can all make a difference when we “make a career of humanity.”

Making a career of humanity is who we are at UCSF, a cornerstone of our mission and our PRIDE Values. Over the course of these past two challenging years, the UCSF community has demonstrated its deep commitment to equity, justice, and action. We thank the countless individuals who are working across campus and the health system to provide patient care and advance research for COVID-19, to dismantle systemic racism, and to address health and healthcare disparities. Amid all the turmoil and stress of these times, these efforts are indeed something to celebrate, because as Dr. King said, we are working to make “a finer world to live in.”

To honor Dr. King’s legacy and the approaching Black History Month, let us recommit ourselves to anti-racism action and service. I invite you to attend a virtual event on February 1 hosted by the Multicultural Resource Center, the California Preterm Birth...