CU Nursing - Fall/Winter 2021 - 18

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RECENT GR ADS
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the College of Nursing. Their goal is
to take collective action in support of
anti-racist and anti-oppressive ideals
and foster a more inclusive campus.
In just the last year, Future Voices has
begun a high school outreach program,
where 18 students at Hinkley
High will be mentored by nursing
students at the College. Omarah says
the program will inform students
about the many careers in the nursing
field. Another Future Voices project
is to prevent students from dropping
out of college because of financial
barriers by raising money to pay for
their computers, stethoscopes, books
and other supplies. The group also
gathered signatures to honor and
induct the university's first Black
nursing graduate (Zipporah Parks
Hammond) in 1946 to the Colorado
Women's Hall of Fame.
My parents raised
me to be aware of
barriers and to not make
assumptions about
others. So, I don't pass
judgment on anyone and
try to understand their
perspective. "
- Omarah Macias
New Student Group
Helping To Change
Culture at CU's
College of Nursing
By Deborah Sherman
I
f you're a nursing student who feels the culture
at the University of Colorado College of
Nursing needs to change, you can now turn
to Future Voices. The student group was established
last June during a time when news
headlines reported police officers shooting
Black Americans and the death of Minneapolis
resident George Floyd.
A nursing student who was outraged at what she
saw on the news and questioned the university's
response wrote an email to the College asking it
" not to turn a blind eye " to what was happening
nationwide. Omarah Macias heard back from the
Future Voices is comprised of
undergraduate and graduate
students who work to create a
safe and inclusive place for all
students and prevent social injustices.
The American College of
Nursing (2019) says 90% of the
nursing workforce is female and
81% are white.
One of the group's goals today
is to induct the first Black
nurse who graduated from the
University of Colorado School
of Nursing in 1946 into the
Colorado Women's Hall of
Fame. Zipporah Parks Hammond
blazed trails for all women and
people of color in health care,
record-keeping and philanthropy
in the face of extreme
racism and prejudice. The beloved
leader died in Longmont,
Colorado in July 2011. Since
then, her sons have nominated
her to the hall of fame five times
without success.
" As more women and people of
color are finally being recognized
for their contributions to nursing,
healthcare and the sciences, we
believe in joining our collective
voices with her sons at this pivotal
moment. This is the year to
give Zippy her very well-deserved
recognition for all her hard work
in paving the way for Black
indigenous nursing students of
color who came after her, " wrote
College of Nursing students Salwa
Bamba, Jessica Gonzalez-Avitia
and Omarah Macias.
assistant dean of student affairs and diversity.
Shane Hoon invited her to a greater diversity,
equity and inclusion meeting for faculty. But she
quickly realized the group was missing a critical
voice - that of the student - and decided to start
an organization just for them.
The group collected more than
1200 signatures on a petition
to show public
support
for
Hammond's induction into the
hall of fame. The nomination has
been submitted and we are waiting
results.
CU College of Nursing | Fall/Winter 2021
CU Nursing - Fall/Winter 2021

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