RALEIGH, N.C. (July 2, 2025) — In 2023, the Martin Center published an opinion by Duke physician Kendall Conger calling out Duke Medicine’s pledge “Against Racism, Bias, and Hate” for its politicized content and collectivist vision of fairness. Conger also pointed out that Duke Health “was presuming to make a political assertion on behalf of its employees, who were in no position to push back. They were acting politically under the guise of medical science.”
Duke Health later fired Conger for “lack of collegiality,” which often masks political motivations.
Now, Duke has replaced its former pledge with a new one based on the shared humanity of all its patients, pledging to “put all people first” and to “stand for civility, humanity, and compassion.”
The Martin Center applauds Duke Health’s reversal of its former identity-based activism. This is a win for Duke patients, doctors, and medical students.
“Individual rights and equal opportunity rest on an understanding of our shared humanity and dignity as individuals,” said Martin Center president Jenna Robinson. “It is heartening to see Duke’s return to treating all people as individuals instead of racialized collectives.”
The new pledge is available here.