At St. Joseph’s Hospital on Juneteenth, dozens of health care workers and community members came together to participate in the White Coats for Black Lives movement.

Silence. For eight minutes and 46 seconds. The time that George Floyd had a knee on his neck, the participants at the event put their knees to the hot pavement. Brandiss Pearson, the director of community engagement was one of the participants. 

“As uncomfortable as it was for me, I kind of feel tearful thinking about what those eight minutes and 46 seconds must have felt like for Mr. Floyd,” she said. 

Dr. Matt Micco was the man who organized the event, which is part of a national movement. 

“It’s just really heartbreaking," Micco said. "It’s devastating. If it felt slightly uncomfortable for any of us today, how must it have felt for him?”

It’s been nearly a month since George Floyd’s death sparked outrage across the country. Since then, gatherings like the one at St. Joe's have popped up.

“I think it’s great that there’s a national movement and that it’s at the forefront," he said. "It feels nice to be part of something that’s much larger than what’s going on right here."

The White Coats for Black Lives movement aims to eliminate racism in the practice of medicine and recognize racism as a threat to the health and well-being of people of color. 

“Systemic racism is real," Micco said. "We’re not immune to it in the health care community because we took an oath. What we need to do is work every day to make sure we’re dismantling that."

“I think it’s important that he mentioned our implicit biases as providers," said Pearson. "When you do ask about that pain scale or when you do engage with patients just make sure we’re checking ourselves and calling out our biases."

For Pearson, seeing the hospital that she’s worked at since 2005 be a part of the movement is uplifting.

“It means so much to me," she said. "Individually, as Brandiss, as a Black colleague, I’m a St. Joe’s girl is what I say. It was really encouraging to see the unity.”

All donations from the event on Friday are going to the Syracuse Center for Peace and Social Justice. If you'd like to donate, you can do so via Venmo @Matt-Micco.