Category: Recommended Reads
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Workplace Conversations: Social Injustice and Race
This article by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) outlines how to have difficult conversations about social injustice and race in the workplace. The article includes guides for what to say in both day-to-day interactions and group listening sessions in professional spaces. Tips for how to approach these topics with empathy and reflection are also […]
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Prioritizing Minority Mental Health
“Prioritizing Minority Mental Health” is a featured article from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The article explains why racial and ethnic minorities face additional barriers to accessing mental healthcare. Then, action steps for individuals, public health organizations, health educators, healthcare systems, and states and communities are listed. Additional related resources are also […]
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The Connection Between Housing, Health, and Racial Equity
An article by Amaya Taylor from the Urban Institute’s Housing Matters initiative explains how housing plays a role in health and health equity. Housing is an important determinant of health, but not everyone has equal access to high-quality, accessible, and affordable housing. Structural racism has caused people of color to historically and continuously face barriers […]
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“Let’s Talk Moving Upstream” Article and Resource
Canada’s National Collaborating Center for Determinants of Health has shared the “Let’s Talk Moving Upstream” resource as part of their “Let’s Talk Series.” This short article discusses how public health can work to create greater fairness in the distribution of good health at the downstream, midstream, and upstream levels, as well as how to shift […]
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“Proximal, Distal, and the Politics of Causation: What’s Level Got to Do With It?” Article by Nancy Krieger
Dr. Nancy Krieger, social epidemiologist and equity advocate, shares her thoughts on the terminology of “proximal/downstream” and “distal/upstream” in the field of public health and which terms to use instead when discussing levels, pathways, and power related to the social determinants of health.
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Honoring MLK’s Legacy by Transforming Narratives
As we reflect on Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s legacy, we must consider ways to adopt his teachings in our lives and the conversations we have about race and racism. Najaf Ahmad, senior managing editor for the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF), shares how we can shatter false narratives and advance the narratives embodying justice […]
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Necessary Conversations: Understanding Racism as a Barrier to Achieving Health Equity
Necessary Conversations: Understanding Racism as a Barrier to Achieving Health Equity is a component of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation‘s “Culture of Health Series.” This book, written by Alonzo Plough, shows us how to move past fear, shame, and denial of acknowledging the United States’ history of racism through authentic conversations about racial inequity that […]
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The Groundwater Approach: Building a Practical Understanding of Structural Racism
Developed by Bayard Love and Deena Hayes-Greene from the Racial Equity Institute, the Groundwater Approach is a metaphorical framework for analyzing racism in the United States. Examples in this document, embedded below, can help deepen understandings of the manifestations of institutional racism. We hope that this resource sparks reflections and inspires you to consider changes […]
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History of Redlining Puts Iowa Communities of Color at Risk
In this article by KCCI, reporters dive into the legacy of redlined Des Moines, Iowa communities from the 1930’s and 1940’s. They explore how these policies still negatively impact the largely racial and ethnic minorities who still reside in these areas today, as well as how these effects will continue to worsen with the more […]
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Health Equity Challenges in Rural America
In this article, representatives for the Maine Rural Health Research Center dive into the complex reasons behind rural health inequities across the United States, as well as what needs to happen to see improved health outcomes in rural populations.