Bridging Racial And Social Justice Through Written Materials – Interview With Michael Thompson

Dr. Michael Thompson is an author, retired college professor and a fierce advocate for promoting diversity, inclusion and equity for marginalized populations. As a child and teenager during the Civil Rights Movement, he brings an insightful perspective showing how social and racial inequalities of the past continue to impact today's quest for diversity, equity and inclusion in the areas of education, health, policy and social mobility. He is the author of the book, The Shameful Misbranding of “Woke”: Stop Fueling Culture Wars and Discrimination. He is also a social and racial justice content creator on various social media platforms.

Michael Thompson, CEO, Interprofessional Health Educators, LLC

Introduce yourself! Please tell us about you and your life, so we can get to know you better.

I am Michael Thompson, a licensed pharmacist, and retired college professor and administrator. After graduating from the University of Michigan with a doctorate, I taught at two Historically Black Colleges for 37 years. Regarding clinical activities, my specialty was providing care for HIV-infected patients and those living in medically underserved communities. I was born in Winston-Salem, North Carolina but was raised in Detroit, Michigan, and I am the proud product of the Detroit Public School system. My life-long passion has been to become an author and address racial and social justice issues. In addition, being the great-great-grandson of enslaved people and living through the historical 1960s and 1970s has given me the passion for serving as a historian to bridge generations as we are in a world where diversity and equity are under fire. What is your business name and how do you help your clients?

The name of my business is Interprofessional Health Educators, LLC. I provide translation services and evaluation of health programs initially but have decided to develop a series of books relative to health disparities, racial issues, equality and topics dealing with diversity. Currently, I have a book scheduled for publication in two months entitled, “The Shameful Misbranding of “Woke”: Stop Culture Wars and Discrimination.

What kind of audience do you target your business towards?

The books and other written materials are geared toward anyone interested in health, social, and racial justice issues.

The topics mentioned above but especially for policymakers, educators, high school and college students, and Public Health professionals. Presently I am building an online presence as a creator to begin connecting with individuals across different platforms with similar interests

What are your current goals for your business?

The goal of the business is to create a brand well-known for developing written materials (paperbacks, ebooks) concerning the impact of systemic racism on various American institutions and communities as well as topics related to diversity, equity and inclusion

Who inspires you to be the best that you can be?

In the past, parents & grandparents were my inspiration to succeed and I owe much of my love for history, the Black experience and life from them. My children inspire me but the real inspiration behind developing this business is for my four grandchildren as they grow up in a world that’s controversial to help give them a stable roadmap and to understand their heritage and the society in which we live. What is your work inspired by?

In the past, my parents & grandparents were my inspiration to succeed, and I owe much of my love for history, the Black experience, and life to them. Likewise, my children inspire me, but the real inspiration behind developing this business is for my four grandchildren as they grow up in a controversial world to help give them a stable roadmap and understand their heritage and the society we live in so that they can have a confident voice in who they are. Tell us about your greatest career achievement so far.

Honestly, my greatest achievement was raising three wonderful daughters with four vibrant and loving grandchildren with a wife of more than 45 years.

If you could change one thing about your industry, what would it be and why?

I would like to see more authors of color and more authors with lived experiences be able to publish and share their experiences with the world. I wish that my company could become that specialty.

Visit my website for more info!

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