Taking a Public Health Approach to Address Structural Racism and Mitigate Health Inequity
By Lori Tremmel Freeman, Chief Executive Officer, NACCHO
In unique—and sometimes fleeting—moments in time, we are compelled to listen closely to what we are seeing and hearing and determine how we will respond as individuals, organizations, communities, and as a country. This moment is upon us. What we are seeing and hearing and experiencing is a clear, pent-up demand for racial justice and equality—a long-time crisis of its own—converging with COVID-19, political unrest, and the need for fundamental social change. This issue of Exchange describes and interprets some of this work and the renewed energy, spurred by recent events, that have catapulted health equity to new levels of awareness and the need for social transformation.
Structural Racism. Racial Equity. Systemic Racism. White Privilege. Institutional Racism. Diversity. Ethnicity. Cultural Representations. National Values. Progress and Retrenchment. These are some of the concepts we should all explore more closely to strategize collectively against structural racism, according to work done by the Aspen Institute Roundtable on Community Change, a group that worked with leading innovators to produce strong and reliable frameworks for successful and sustainable community change and development nearly five years ago, in 2016.
To read the entire issue, visit NACCHO’s online bookstore.
