Symbolic Solidarity or Virtue Signaling? A Critical Discourse Analysis of the Public Statements Released by Academic Medical Organizations in the Wake of the Killing of George Floyd.

Purpose: Many academic medical organizations issued statements in response to demand for collective action against racial injustices and police brutality following the murder of George Floyd in May 2020. These statements may offer insight into how medical schools and national organizations were reflecting on and responding to these incidents. The authors sought to empirically examine the initial statements published by academic medical organizations in response to societal concerns about systemic, anti-Black racism.