News and Research

Dr. Dryden in the News  

Knock down anti-Black racism in medicine, two powerhouse advocates tell health-care sector in new CMAJ article. Toronto Star, January 11, 2021. https://www.thestar.com/opinion/star-columnists/2021/01/11/knock-down-anti-black-racism-in-medicine-two-powerhouse-advocates-tell-health-care-sector-in-new-cmaj-article.html  

Time to dismantle systemic anti-Black racism in medicine in Canada. CMAJ, January 11, 2021. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1503/cmaj.201579  

El Jones proposes committee to address defunding police to Halifax police board, Global News, November 16, 2020. https://globalnews.ca/news/7465250/halifax-police-board-el-jones-defunding-police-nov-16/

Leader in Black Studies. Dal Magazine, October 27, 2020. http://dalmag.dal.ca/blog/2020/10/27/leader-in-black-studies/  

Making space, elevating voices: Dal community members take part in Scholar Strike activities. Dal News, September 11, 2020. https://www.dal.ca/news/2020/09/11/making-space--elevating-voices--dal-community-members-take-part-.html  

Where are the stats on COVID-19 and LGBTQ2 people?, Krishna Rau, Xtra, September 3, 2020. https://www.dailyxtra.com/missing-stats-covid-19-lgbtq2-178633  

OMISOORE DRYDEN: Racist responses to COVID-19 place us all at greater risk, OmiSoore Dryden, The Chronicle Herald, September 3, 2020.
https://www.thechronicleherald.ca/opinion/local-perspectives/omisoore-dryden-racist-responses-to-covid-19-place-us-all-at-greater-risk-492256/#.X1DGq84mODw.facebook

COVID-19 and African Canadians: A Festering, Unresolved Problem, Donald Oliver, The Hill Times, August 25, 2020. https://www.hilltimes.com/2020/05/18/covid-19-and-african-canadians-a-festering-unresolved-problem/247885

Canadian Officials Urged to Collect Race-Based Health Data During COVID-19, Ashley Field & Alexander Quon, July 15, 2020. https://globalnews.ca/news/7180914/canada-race-based-data-covid-19/

Pride and Perseverance – From a Distance: Dals’ Annual Flag-Raising Ceremony goes Virtual for Most, Matt Reeder, Dal News, July 14, 2020. https://www.dal.ca/news/2020/07/14/pride-and-perseverance---from-a-distance.html

OMISOORE DRYDEN: All Black Lives Matter – Including Queer, Trans and Gender Non-Conforming people, The Chronicle Herald, July 4, 2020. https://www.thechronicleherald.ca/opinion/local-perspectives/omisoore-dryden-all-black-lives-matter-including-queer-trans-and-gender-non-conforming-people-468817/

 ‘It’s Just Heavy’: Dal-Hosted Forum Explores Burdens of Anti-Black Racism, Matt Reeder, Dal News, June 12, 2020. https://www.dal.ca/news/2020/06/12/--it-s-heavy---dal-hosted-forum-explores-burdens-of-anti-black-r.html

Commitment and Action on anti-Black Racism: Work Moves Forward on New Academic and Research Programs, Ryan McNutt, Dal News, June 12, 2020. https://www.dal.ca/news/2020/06/12/commitment-and-action-on-anti-black-racism--work-moves-forward-o.html

Ontario Mulls Collection of Race-Based COVID-19 Data; Some Argue it’s Essential, Canadian Press, June 2, 2020. https://chatnewstoday.ca/2020/06/02/ontario-mulls-collection-of-race-based-covid-19-data-some-argue-its-essential/

Building a National Black Graduate Network in Canada, rosalind Hampton, The Varsity, June 2, 2020.  https://thevarsity.ca/2020/06/02/op-ed-building-a-national-black-graduate-network-in-canada/

One Day in the Streets Doesn’t Stop Injustice, but it does Show How Black Lives Matter, El Jones, Halifax Examiner, June 2, 2020. https://www.halifaxexaminer.ca/featured/one-day-in-the-streets-doesnt-stop-injustice-but-it-does-show-how-black-lives-matter/

Ask an expert: OmiSoore Dryden on why Marginalized Communities have been hard hit by COVID-19, Lindsay Dowling-Savelle, Dal News, May 8, 2020.  https://www.dal.ca/news/2020/05/08/ask-an-expert--omisoore-dryden-on-why-marginalized-communities-h.html?utm_campaign=dalnews&utm_medium=sharethis&utm_source=twitter

Coronavirus Discriminates Against Black Lives Through Surveillance, Policing and The Absence of Health Data, Beverly Bain, OmiSoore Dryden, Rinaldo Walcott, The Conversation, April 20, 2020. https://theconversation.com/coronavirus-discriminates-against-black-lives-through-surveillance-policing-and-the-absence-of-health-data-135906

‘We Don’t Need to be Put Down’: African Nova Scotian Communities Demand Apology from Premier, Noushin Ziafati, Chronicle Herald, April 15, 2020.  https://www.thechronicleherald.ca/news/local/we-dont-need-to-be-put-down-african-nova-scotian-communities-demand-apology-from-premier-437641/

Letter from Black Community to Premier and Chief Medical Officer has been Vandalized with Racist Comments, el Jones, Halifax Examiner, April 15, 2020.  https://www.halifaxexaminer.ca/featured/letter-from-black-community-to-premier-and-chief-medical-officer-has-been-vandalized-with-racist-comments/

Racial Discrimination could Exacerbate COVID-19 for African Nova Scotians: advocates, Cassidy Chisholm, CBC News, April 9, 2020. https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-scotia/racial-discrimination-covid-19-african-nova-scotians-1.5528542

‘I’m profoundly tired by it’: Members of Halifax community Speak out about Racism During Pandemic, Noushin Ziafati, The Chronicle Herald, April 7, 2020.  https://www.journalpioneer.com/news/canada/im-profoundly-tired-by-it-members-of-halifax-community-speak-out-about-racism-during-pandemic-434662/

Policing the Pandemic will put Marginalized Communities at Risk, Advocates ay, Canadian Press, April 3, 2020.  https://www.ottawamatters.com/national-news/policing-the-pandemic-will-put-marginalized-communities-at-risk-advocates-say-2224826

We Face a Public Health Emergency, and Criminalizing the Marginalized can Worsen the Crisis, El Jones, Halifax Examiner, March 22, 2020. https://www.halifaxexaminer.ca/province-house/we-face-a-public-health-emergency-and-criminalizing-the-marginalized-can-worsen-the-crisis/

Racist tropes about COVID-19 Echo the Long History of Anti-Asian Stereotyping, El Jones, Halifax Examiner, March 21, 2020.  https://www.halifaxexaminer.ca/featured/racist-tropes-about-covid-19-echo-the-long-history-of-anti-asian-stereoyping/

Why anti-Black Racism in Canadian Blood Donation is also a Gay Issue, EXCERPT, OmiSoore. Xtra, February 05, 2020. https://www.dailyxtra.com/blood-donation-anti-black-racism-gay-canada-166900

Halifax Police, Walmart owe Nova Scotia Black Community Aopology for Women’s Violent Arrest, prof says, Andrew Rankin, The Chronicle Herald, Jan 19, 2020. https://www.thechronicleherald.ca/news/halifax-police-walmart-owe-ns-black-community-apology-for-womans-violent-arrest-prof-says-400121/

Dr. Dryden’s Research

Don’t Count Us Out! is a community-informed, culturally sensitive approach to health promotion for African Nova Scotian communities with an initial focus on COVID-19 pandemic and developing the infrastructure to create an African Nova Scotian Community Population Health Registry (CPHR) which will include health card numbers (HCNs), and consent information for data uses, as a move toward collecting race-based health data and developing reliable population health information. The development of this African Nova Scotian Community Population Health Registry would be the first of its kind in Canada and perhaps North America and an opportunity for Black people to have control over their own health data. The history with health data and Black people is less than stellar, often resulting is harmful interpretation of the data and therefore outcomes. Thus, developing this registry would work to change these long historic harms and inequities. And beginning within African Nova Scotian communities would lead the way for Black communities across the country. Don’t Count Us Out! is a community-informed, culturally sensitive approach to health promotion for African Nova Scotian communities with an initial focus on COVID-19 pandemic and developing the infrastructure to create an African Nova Scotian Community Population Health Registry (CPHR) which will include health card numbers (HCNs), and consent information for data uses, as a move toward collecting race-based health data and developing reliable population health information. As it stands, there is no effective means to identify African Nova Scotian communities in current data structures. This project will focus on practice, policy, and decision-making objectives: (1) health promotion, education and health care access; (2) development of a community population health registry. And focuses on the health care of the African Nova Scotian population located within Dartmouth, specifically The Preston township with includes: East Preston, North Preston, Cherry Brook and Lake Loon Funded by the Nova Scotia COVID-19 Health Research Coalition

#GotBlood2Give / #DuSangÀDonner is a study taking place in Halifax, Montréal, Ottawa and Toronto. The goal of this research study is to examine the barriers to participation in blood donation among African, Caribbean and Black men (males) over the age of 17 (18 in Montréal) who have sex with men (males). The overall objective of this two (2) year research study is to generate evidence to guide modifications to the current Canadian Blood Services’ donor criteria and questionnaire in order to facilitate greater participation by ACB MSM. Our central operating proposition is that the participation of “low-risk” ACB MSM in blood donation is impeded by exclusionary eligibility criteria and their experiences of the donor questionnaire. We will investigate this proposition through three specific aims (objectives). Aim 1: Identify best predictors of receiving a seronegative HIV test among ACB MSM. Aim 2: Identify the range of factors that influence ACB MSM responses to the donor questionnaire. Aim 3: Improve the gender and cultural appropriateness of the donor questionnaire. The study will be conducted in Halifax, Montreal, Ottawa, and Toronto – four cities in Canada with significant and vibrant ACB communities. Funded by Canadian Blood Services, MSM Research Grant