A core value of the Collaborative is cultural humility. Cultural humility is one of the principles that informs the ways in which people build trusting and intentional relationships with each other. Cultural humility governs our language, behavior and interactions with our partners within the Collaborative. Two Black women physicians and public health scholars, Dr. Melanie Tervalon, MD, MPH, and Dr. Jann Murray-Garcia, MD, MPH, first defined cultural humility, which requires a commitment to four core tenets:
- critical self-reflection and lifelong learning
- recognizing and mitigating inherent power imbalances
- developing mutually beneficial non-hierarchical clinical and advocacy partnerships with community members, amplifying the expertise of the residents in the community
- creating institutional alignment and accountability