Racism is a public health crisis. Decades of racism-infused social, economic, and political systems have led to inequitable communities. These areas face higher burdens of stress, disease, and premature death. Now, amid U.S. protests for racial/ethnic and social justice, city leaders are creating resolutions that declare racism a public health crisis and commit to action. Download the free Salud America! “Get Your City to Declare Racism a Public Health Crisis Action Pack.” The Action Pack will help you get input from local social justice groups and advocates of color, start a conversation with city leaders, and build local support for a resolution to declare racism a public health issue along with a commitment to take action to change policies and practices. GET THE ...
Unlike a pandemic or emergency, there is no epidemiological definition for public health crisis. Experts at the Boston University School of Public Health tried to solve this. They explored the distinction between immediate and important and how politics, perceived risk, and affected groups shape the concept of a crisis. For example, they juxtaposed the number of deaths caused by terrorism and by gun violence with action taken by the U.S. government. Between 2001 and 2013, 3,380 Americans were killed by terrorism and 406,496 Americans were killed by firearms on U.S. soil; yet the U.S. spent trillions on the War on Terror and failed to pass gun control legislation. They conclude that people often confuse the immediate and the important, and that the important often fails to receive ...
Systemic racism makes it harder for Latinos and other people of color to get healthcare, housing, transportation, education, employment, healthy food, safe treatment by police, and more. We need solutions to end racial/ethnic injustice. Let’s use #SaludTues on Tuesday, June 16, 2020, to discuss how to address racial/ethnic injustice and discuss clear, measurable strategies and actions to combat racial/ethnic disparities in housing, public health, education, and more! WHAT: #SaludTues Tweetchat: Addressing Racial/Ethnic Injustice
TIME/DATE: 1-2 p.m. ET (Noon-1 p.m. CT), Tuesday, June 16, 2020
WHERE: On Twitter with hashtag #SaludTues
HOST: @SaludAmerica
CO-HOSTS: UnidosUS (@WeAreUnidosUS), America’s Promise Alliance (@AmericasPromise), CommonHealth Action ...
Systemic racism makes it harder for Latinos and other people of color to get healthcare, housing, transportation, education, employment, healthy food, safe treatment by police, and more. How can cities and states take a meaningful step to address racism? Declare racism a public health crisis. That’s what cities and counties in Ohio are doing, with a commitment to: Incorporate educational efforts to dismantle racism.
Review all portions of codified ordinances with a racial/ethnic equity lens.
Prioritize policies that will have the most beneficial health impact on people of color.
Train elected officials, staff, funders and grantees on workplace biases and how to mitigate them. “Through race-conscious policy-making, we’ve got to unwind the generations of ...
On April 30, protesters, many with guns and without face masks, entered Michigan’s state capitol to resist stay-home orders amid coronavirus, resist mask-wearing, and demand businesses reopen. “Infectious disease physicians and public health officials publicly condemned these actions and privately mourned the widening rift between leaders in science and a subset of the communities that they serve,” reads an open letter signed by 1,288 public health professionals, infectious disease professionals, and community stakeholders across the country. Then, when George Floyd was killed by a police officer May 25, protesters, many unarmed and wearing face masks, took to the streets to promote racial justice. This time, public health professionals responded differently. The noted ...
People around the country are joining together and speaking out about systemic racism, police brutality, and the unhealthy culture that passive racism has cultivated in America. In fact, more people are supporting the #BlackLivesMatter movement than ever before. In light of these events, we are aiming to have a different conversation for today’s episode: How everyday individuals can act to address these tragedies and the system of which they are a symptom. Check out this discussion on the Salud Talks Podcast, Episode 33: "Black Lives Matter"! WHAT: A #SaludTalks discussion about the murders of Black Americans at the hands of systemic injustice.
Co-Hosts: Tenoch Aztecatl, the Video Producer of Salud America!, and Josh McCormack, Digital Content Curator at Salud ...
Dr. Amelie G. Ramirez, director of Salud America! at UT Health San Antonio, has issued the following statement about the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis and its aftermath across the country: "The murder of George Floyd at the hands of those whose duty it was to serve and protect him is one in a long series of tragedies impacting the Black community. We offer our condolences to the families of Mr. Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, and the countless others who have died from perpetuated systemic racism and injustice in America. We stand with our Black brothers and sisters in this catastrophe, as well as those who are standing in the streets—putting themselves in harm’s way—to speak out against injustice. Racial injustice is a public health issue—and it permeates ...
Communication is a critical aspect of the human experience, and, for Dr. Jason Rosenfeld, it is the key to making any societal shift. From working with small communities in Africa to helping rural towns in the Rio Grande Valley, he has devoted his career to crafting the right phrase or infographic that can effect change. This work in healthcare communications has led to numerous victories over countless threats. With the spread of the current novel coronavirus, COVID-19, Rosenfeld, his colleagues, and a team of medical students at UT Health San Antonio are addressing this new danger by creating health messaging to help people understand what this illness is, how it spreads, how to stay safe, and other critical pandemic information. Rosenfeld, DrPH, MPH—an Assistant Professor of ...
Use La Loteria to talk about health with your family amid COVID-19! La Loteria, a traditional game in Latino families, is a version of Bingo using pictures on cards instead of numbers. The National Alliance for Hispanic Health has created COVID-19 Bingo (La Loteria). The family game has pictures of social distancing, hand-washing, video calls, physical activity, healthy food, faith, hope, and more. "My daughter and I were playing La Loteria and we thought it might be a great way to help other kids understand COVID-19," said Edgar Gil Rico of the National Alliance for Hispanic Health. "So it became a family project resulting in a new version of Bingo (La Loteria) with tips for parents to use the game to discuss COVID-19 and what families can do to stay well and healthy." La ...
