We look forward to welcoming all AUA attendees at the 2024 AUA History Exhibit, “Onward and Upward, Celebrating Black Urologists in America” at Booth #330 in the Science and Technology Exhibit Hall in San Antonio, Texas, curated by Arthur (Bud) Burnett, MD, and a curatorial team.

The legacy of Black urologists in America is a vital, pivotal history. It is critical to know the past, to be aware and knowledgeable of the present, and to prepare, to assist, and to lead in the development of the future. We must acknowledge the past in order to improve the future. The history of urology reflects the history of medicine and, in many ways, the history of the US, where we still confront racism and its legacy of dehumanization, invisibility, and silencing of Black Americans. The AUA now has its own committee on diversity, equity, and inclusion. Likewise, the book that accompanies this exhibit is necessary to illustrate the importance of diversity, equity, and inclusion in the education of future urologists, our health care environment, and the quality of our clinical care.

The American poet Pat Parker (1944-1989) described the challenge of learning from the past while moving forward with civility and respect. Her 1978 work “Movement in Black” includes the poem, “For the White Person Who Wants to Know How to Be My Friend.”¹ She begins, “The first thing you do is to forget that I’m Black. Second, you must never forget that I’m Black.” Parker’s art urges us to see one another as human beings of complexity, individuality, and importance. Our heritage matters. Our knowledge matters. Our ethics matter. Our legacy as a profession that aims to heal, to prevent harm, and to strengthen humanity matters.

The Black experience in medicine and urology has been and still is marked by major challenges, especially in terms of representation. There has been no statistically significant increase in the representation of Black physicians in the US since 1900.² Accounting for changes in the US population, Black Americans only made up little more than 2% of all American physicians after 1965. In the US there are approximately 4.21 urologists per 100,000 population. If a Black person wishes to be cared for by a urologist of the same racial background, it is a challenge, as there is only 1 Black urologist for every 140,000 Black Americans. According to the 2022 AUA Census, of the 13,976 practicing urologists in the US, only an estimated 293 (2.2%) are Black.³

The 2024 AUA Forum on the History of Urology features 14 posters and 21 podium presentations on aspects of medical history. This 4-hour program kicks off with a medical ethics debate: “Can A.I. define ‘Truth’?,” with debaters Mack Roach, MD, and Elodi Dielubanza, MD.

The 2023 AUA Earl Nation Retrospectroscope Award from last year’s presentations will be formally awarded to Elizabeth Ellis, MD, University of Rochester Medical Center, for her presentation and paper on “A Knight’s Thrust: Was the Use of a Codpiece for Protection or for Exertion of Masculinity? An Evaluation Through History and Its Reemergence in Modern Times.”

Thomas Oskinski, MD, University of Rochester Medical Center, will receive the 2023 Honorable Mention for his presentation and paper on “Refurbishing a Rusty Cystoscope into the Retrospectroscope Award.”

The Bicknell Lecture will be given by Arthur (Bud) Burnett, MD, on “The Legacy of Black Urologists in America.”

The 2024 William P. Didusch Art & History Award goes to Jennifer Gordetsky, MD, medical director of Anatomic Pathology and Surgical Pathology and professor of Pathology and Urology at Vanderbilt University Medical Center. A member of the AUA History Committee, Dr Gordetsky is also a previous AUA Earl Nation Retrospectroscope Award winner for her 2008 History Forum paper and presentation on “Urology and the Scientific Method in Ancient Egypt.”