Vital Voices

Longtime Corning employee Leon Washington was the picture of health - until the avid cyclist was diagnosed with colorectal cancer.  When diagnosed early, colorectal cancer is treatable. Unfortunately, by the time people start to experience symptoms they are typically in the later stages of the disease. Sadly, colorectal cancer has for decades disproportionately affected the Black community – particularly Black men – in both incidence and mortality. Millicent and Sissy hear from those who have been personally affected by the disease, including a researcher whose aim is to spread awareness of the importance of early testing.

Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center is more than just a renowned leader in cancer treatment and research, it has also made a commitment to advance health equity. Three doctors from Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center share with Millicent and Sissy insight into how MSKCC is working to eliminate health disparities among people of color.

Heart disease, the leading cause of death in the U.S., can have a surprising cause – gum disease. In this episode, Dr. Millicent Ruffin and Sissy Siero continue the discussion around the importance of dental care and hear how Corning is partnering with the county and health organization to address the crucial need for dental care in Western New York.

Health equity, or the lack thereof, affects more than the patients who aren’t able to receive quality health care; there’s also a hefty economic impact. ORESU's Millicent Ruffin and Siero Media's Sissy Siero hear from epidemiologist, Dr. Lisa Gary, digs into the impact of the U.S.’s health equity issues, including the disparities surrounding dental care; leading to a personal story of just how critical dental care and representation can be.

When Dr. Angela Anderson went to the hospital in pain, she expected to leave knowing what was wrong – and how to fix it. What she encountered instead was racial bias so serious, and potentially dangerous, that it made the DEI executive an advocate for healthcare equity. Click here for Dr. Anderson’s article in Forbes that helped kick off her work in patient advocacy.

Racial inequities in healthcare persist throughout the United States, despite our knowledge of longstanding gaps. In Season 2 of Vital Voices, co-hosts Dr. Millicent Ruffin, Community Affairs director of Corning's Office of Racial Equality and Social Unity (ORESU) and Sissy Siero, CEO and founder of Siero Media, explore these inequities through personal stories, research into these disparities and what organizations – including Corning – is doing to address them. 

Corning Scholars have finished teaching their first Freedom School on the campus of North Carolina A&T University. Hear from some of the Corning Scholars about their experiences, learn about the unique educational approach at Freedom Schools, and find out what NC A&T’s Dean of Education is doing to bring more Black students into teaching – and why “pipeline” is a misnomer.​

High school student Joshua Webb has never had a teacher who looks like him. Hear how one North Carolina school district’s grow-your-own teacher program is bringing talented students back to the district as teachers – and how Corning is helping them do it. ​

In this episode, we continue the discussion around DE&I in the classroom and hear from three educators in Elmira, New York on their firsthand experience learning about and implementing DE&I initiatives. Additional resources: Read more about New York state's culturally responsive sustaining-education framework  BetterLesson professional development for teachers Biased: Uncovering the Hidden Prejudice that Shapes What We See, Think and Do White Fragility: Why it's So Hard for White People to Talk About Racism

Meet Jarvis Marlow-McCowin and Debbie Fishbeck – ORESU’s DEI education coordinators whose ultimate idea of job success is when the schools they currently serve no longer need them.  Additional resources:  What is culturally responsive teaching? via EdWeek The Windows and Mirrors of your Child's Bookshelf  a Ted Talk by Grace Lin

Corning Incorporated has long been known for its long history of technological innovation. In 2020, they took that same spirit – along with their commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion – outside the company’s walls. Vital Voices highlights how the company is embedding itself in the community to highlight the innovative ways corporations can be a force for good.