The Turner Free Library and the Randolph Board of Health are excited to host a free virtual community discussion about the disproportionate impact of COVID-19 on communities of color with bestselling author Dr. Michele Harper and a panel of community leaders. Dr. Michele Harper is an emergency room physician and the author of the New York Times bestselling memoir The Beauty in Breaking, which was longlisted for the Andrew Carnegie Medal for Excellence in Nonfiction. As a Black woman in an overwhelmingly white and male profession, Dr. Harper is passionate about the persistent societal issues that impact patients and providers alike. Moderated by Randolph Town Councilor Ken Clifton and featuring Randolph Public Health Department Director Gerard Cody, the event will be held on Thursday, March 25th at 6:30pm on Zoom and Facebook Live. Topics of discussion will include the history of exploitation of Black Americans within the medical system and the importance of ensuring that communities of color have equitable access to the COVID-19 vaccines. COVID-19 vaccines are safe and effective and the CDC recommends that everyone get vaccinated for COVID-19 as soon as they are eligible. The Town of Randolph is named among the twenty municipalities in Massachusetts that have had the greatest COVID burden and have the greatest percentage of non-white residents, making this discussion both vital and timely. Information about this event in Vietnamese and Haitian Creole will be coming shortly.