 Efforts to move community engagement in research from marginalized to mainstream include the knee-requiring community engagement programs in all clinical and translational science awards, CTSAs. However, the COVID-19 pandemic has exposed how little these efforts have changed the dominant culture of clinical research. We call on research funders and research institutions to take decisive action to make community engagement obligatory, not optional. This article was authored by Kevin Grumbark, Linda B Kotler, Jen Brown, and others.