The Wayne State University School of Medicine’s Class of 2005 may have missed its class reunion this year because of the COVID-19 pandemic, but they still found a way to reconnect and to spread a message of hope and inspiration.

The Class of 2005 was to be one of those celebrating their 15th anniversary during the annual Medical Alumni Reunion Day, which generally takes place in May. In the interest of safety, the School of Medicine’s Alumni Association was forced to postpone the annual event until May 2021.

The class, however, pulled together to create and share a video of members across the nation and world, sending the message “We Will Overcome” to colleagues, health care workers and medical students working to battle the pandemic. The video includes a number of shout-outs to Detroit.

“The one thing we all have in common after graduating from Wayne State is pure grit and determination,” said Jill Whitehouse, M.D., a pediatric surgeon practicing in Hollywood, Fla. “Thank you to everyone who has been fighting the fight against,, not only in Detroit, but across the country and around the world.”

The video includes a message of recognition and support of the civil rights movements, with a nod toward its anthem, “We Shall Overcome.”