American Journal of Transplantation: Volume 21, Number 3, March 2021

On the cover: Recent events have sharpened the thinking and discourse related to racially based inequities that permeate not only society but also medicine and, in turn, transplantation. In this issue, Reese and colleagues ( page 958) focus our attention on unequal access to preemptive kidney transplantation, or transplantation prior to dialysis initiation, a highly advantageous practice that yields both survival and quality of life benefits. They first delineate the multidimensional mechanisms that contribute to excluding disadvantaged groups in general and Black patients in particular from preemptive kidney transplantation. They then constructively suggest a series of detailed “policies and practices” that can remediate the disparities, aimed at patients themselves, primary care physicians and nephrologists, transplant centers, and finally policy‐makers. Kulkarni and Ladin provide thoughtful commentary ( page 917). Finally, as yet another reminder, we offer two perspectives on Chip Jones’ provocative book, “The Organ Thieves: The Shocking Story of the First Heart Transplant in the Segregated South.” Drs. Delmonico and Arriola ( pages 1338 and 1340) provide context for and reflection on the transplant of a Black man’s heart into a white man with neither the donor family’s knowledge nor authorization. Cover design by Megan Llewellyn, Duke University Section of Surgical Disciplines .