Summary/Analysis Ghana’s Sodzi-Tettey has just become the first African to serve on the Board of Int’l Society for Quality in Healthcare. Before his role on the board, he worked as an assistant editor for the International Academy of Quality and Safety, a company which he is also a founding member of. In the short time (as of October 26th) he’s had on the board, he has conducted many meetings with multiple organizations within African countries, such as Ethiopia, Liberia, and Nigeria, as well other countries, including Saudi Arabia, India, and America. These organizations have gotten support and various resources, thanks to Doctor Sodzi Sodzi-Tettey. In a recent interview with GhanaWeb, Tettley said “I intend to expand professional development opportunities for Africans and members from [Lower-Middle Income Countries]”. In this same interview, he shared his mission to increase and promote scientific writing within Lower-Middle Income Countries (LMICs), as well as his hopes to see a rise in diversity on the board and in other medical and scientific professions. At the end of this interview, he mentioned his gratitude for the professors and guides he had over the years, making note of each country they were from. The list, consisting of 8 countries (6 of which in Africa), provides a wonderful display of the diversity he achieved in his education. Although he didn’t go into any detail on the struggles he faced for his race (at least not within this specific interview), the fact that he is the first black man on the board shows that even today, the effects of imperialism and racism are still apparent within and outside of Africa. Africans and African Americans are constantly overcoming challenges that have been built into the minds and lives of others. Whether enforced by individuals or companies, stereotypes get put onto people due to their race everyday, and make it harder to be taken at the same level as other peers/coworkers of different races. His position and achievements serve as both an inspiration for African individuals and a wake up call to a biased, tired system. Discussion Question(s) What was holding him back from becoming a doctor? How long do you think it will take for the board to have more diversity? How can organizations support racial equality in ways that individuals cannot?
