“Racism is a system of structuring opportunity and assigning value based on the social interpretation of how one looks (which is what we call “race”, that unfairly disadvantages some individuals and communities, unfairly advantages other individuals and communities, and saps the strength of the whole society through the waste of human resources.” –APHA President Camara Jones, MD, PhD, MPH
Presidential Initiative, a National Campaign Against Racism
This effort builds on our commitment to social justice and health equity and raises awareness about racism’s impact on the health and well-being of the nation. The initiative aims to identify all areas in which racism exists and operates and to take swift and practical steps toward health equity through its elimination. The goals are to:
- Put racism on the agenda. Name racism as a force determining the social determinants of health.
- Ask “How is racism operating here?” Identify how racism drives past and current policies, practices, norms and values that create the inequitable conditions in which we are born, grow, live, learn and age.
- Organize and strategize to act. Promote and facilitating conversation, research and intervention to address racism and its negative impact on the health of our nation.
Full webinar recording here.
