CDC Racism and HealthCDC Racism and HealthWork GroupWork Group

Academy for Health Equity ConferenceAcademy for Health Equity Conference

June 26, 2008June 26, 2008

HistoryHistoryMeasures of Racism Working Group - Established Measures of Racism Working Group - Established

October 2000 October 2000 Led by Dr. Camara Jones Led by Dr. Camara Jones

Racism and Health Workgroup established as Official Racism and Health Workgroup established as Official CDC workgroup 2008CDC workgroup 2008

Develop a framework for understanding how racism Develop a framework for understanding how racism impacts the health of Americansimpacts the health of AmericansReview currently available measures of racismReview currently available measures of racismIdentify or develop measures of racism for use on Identify or develop measures of racism for use on national data collection effortsnational data collection efforts

What is racism?What is racism?

A system of structuring opportunity and A system of structuring opportunity and assigning value based on the social assigning value based on the social interpretation of how one looks (“race”)interpretation of how one looks (“race”)

Source: Jones CP, Phylon 2003

RacismRacism

Unfairly advantages other individuals and Unfairly advantages other individuals and communitiescommunities

Unfairly disadvantages some individuals and Unfairly disadvantages some individuals and communitiescommunities

Saps the strength of the whole society Saps the strength of the whole society through the waste of human resourcesthrough the waste of human resources

Source: Jones CP, Phylon 2003

VisionVision

A nation free of racism and the class A nation free of racism and the class divisions that racism supports.divisions that racism supports.

Such a nation will be a healthy society in Such a nation will be a healthy society in which ALL people are highly valued and which ALL people are highly valued and ALL people are able to develop to their full ALL people are able to develop to their full potential.potential.

MissionMission

To To provide research and policy analysisprovide research and policy analysis on on

health promotion, on prevention of disease, health promotion, on prevention of disease,

injury, and disability, and on provision of healthy injury, and disability, and on provision of healthy

environments, so that all people, especially those environments, so that all people, especially those

at higher risk due to societal inequities, will at higher risk due to societal inequities, will

achieve their optimal lifespan with the best achieve their optimal lifespan with the best

possible quality of health in every stage of life.possible quality of health in every stage of life.

United Nations Educational, Scientific, and United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)Cultural Organization (UNESCO)

“ “Racism includes racist ideologies, Racism includes racist ideologies, prejudiced attitudes, discriminatory prejudiced attitudes, discriminatory behavior, structural arrangements and behavior, structural arrangements and institutionalized practices resulting in racial institutionalized practices resulting in racial inequality as well as the fallacious notion inequality as well as the fallacious notion that discriminatory relations between that discriminatory relations between groups are morally and scientifically groups are morally and scientifically justifiable; justifiable;

UNESCO UNESCO (continued)(continued)

it is reflected in discriminatory provisions in it is reflected in discriminatory provisions in legislation or regulations and legislation or regulations and discriminatory practices as well as in anti-discriminatory practices as well as in anti-social beliefs and acts; it hinders the social beliefs and acts; it hinders the development of its victims, perverts those development of its victims, perverts those who practice it, divides nations internally, who practice it, divides nations internally, impedes international co-operation and impedes international co-operation and gives rise to political tensions between gives rise to political tensions between peoples;peoples;

UNESCO UNESCO (continued)(continued)

it is contrary to the fundamental principles it is contrary to the fundamental principles of international law and, consequently, of international law and, consequently, seriously disturbs international peace and seriously disturbs international peace and securitysecurity..”2”2

Public Health MissionPublic Health Mission

Name racism as a threat to the health and well-Name racism as a threat to the health and well-

being of the nationbeing of the nation

Identify the mechanisms by which it operates,Identify the mechanisms by which it operates,

Develop interventions that dismantle the Develop interventions that dismantle the

mechanisms of racism and mechanisms of racism and

Develop/Support equitable structures, policies, Develop/Support equitable structures, policies,

practices, and norms so that a healthy society practices, and norms so that a healthy society

can be realizedcan be realized

MembershipMembershipGeneral membersGeneral members 75 Persons currently employed at 75 Persons currently employed at

CDC/ATSDRCDC/ATSDR

Associate membersAssociate members 78 78 Persons NOT currently employed at Persons NOT currently employed at

CDC/ATSDR:CDC/ATSDR:

other federal agencies, academia, health other federal agencies, academia, health departments, community members and departments, community members and othersothers

PurposePurpose

Facilitate research and intervention on Facilitate research and intervention on racism, which is a threat to the physical racism, which is a threat to the physical and mental health and well-being of the and mental health and well-being of the nation, in order to promote the public’s nation, in order to promote the public’s health.health.

ObjectivesObjectives1.1. Identify or propose measures of Identify or propose measures of

racism that can be used in research racism that can be used in research and intervention on the impacts of and intervention on the impacts of racism on the health and well-being of racism on the health and well-being of the nationthe nation

2.2. Identify the mechanisms by which Identify the mechanisms by which racism operates and has its adverse racism operates and has its adverse impacts on healthimpacts on health

ObjectivesObjectives3.3. Promote the development of Promote the development of

interventions to eliminate racism and interventions to eliminate racism and prevent its adverse impacts on healthprevent its adverse impacts on health

4.4. Contribute to a national conversation Contribute to a national conversation regarding the impacts of racism on the regarding the impacts of racism on the health and well-being of the nationhealth and well-being of the nation

Committee OrganizationCommittee Organization1.1. Science & PublicationsScience & Publications

2.2. Policy & LegislationPolicy & Legislation

3.3. Liaison & PartnershipLiaison & Partnership

4.4. Education & DevelopmentEducation & Development

5.5. Communication & DisseminationCommunication & Dissemination

6.6. Organizational ExcellenceOrganizational Excellence

7.7. Global MattersGlobal Matters

CommitteesCommittees

Science and PublicationsScience and PublicationsDevelop methods for improving the quality of Develop methods for improving the quality of science and research on racism as a science and research on racism as a fundamental cause of health disparities and fundamental cause of health disparities and social inequity. social inequity. Serve as liaison to the CDC Excellence in Serve as liaison to the CDC Excellence in Science CommitteeScience CommitteeNHANES reactions to race Question: NHANES reactions to race Question: How How often do you think about your race?often do you think about your race?

Committees Committees (continued)(continued)

Education and DevelopmentEducation and DevelopmentProvide widespread education and staff Provide widespread education and staff development opportunities on racism and development opportunities on racism and health for CDC/ATSDR and its partners, such health for CDC/ATSDR and its partners, such as:as:

Design training programsDesign training programsDevelop curriculaDevelop curriculaSponsor seminars, workshops, film series Sponsor seminars, workshops, film series Initiate expert panels on public health and Initiate expert panels on public health and racismracismCreate educational pipelinesCreate educational pipelines

Committees Committees (continued)(continued)

Communication and DisseminationCommunication and DisseminationFacilitate the sharing of information to the larger Facilitate the sharing of information to the larger community at CDC/ATSDR and beyond, community at CDC/ATSDR and beyond, including directly to local communities and the including directly to local communities and the general publicgeneral public

Develop and maintain mechanisms for Develop and maintain mechanisms for information sharing and communication information sharing and communication

Host RAHW websiteHost RAHW website

Committees Committees (continued)(continued)

Organizational ExcellenceOrganizational ExcellenceExamine implications of racism with regard to Examine implications of racism with regard to structures, policies, programs, practices, norms, structures, policies, programs, practices, norms, and values within public health systems and values within public health systems including academia, government, and including academia, government, and communitycommunity

Explore ethical considerations of public health Explore ethical considerations of public health obligations and political regulations obligations and political regulations

Progress institutional work of RAHWProgress institutional work of RAHW

Committees Committees (continued)(continued)Policy and LegislationPolicy and Legislation

Review existing policy and legislation for Review existing policy and legislation for differential impacts by “race”/ethnicitydifferential impacts by “race”/ethnicity

Develop guidelines for new policy and legislation Develop guidelines for new policy and legislation that support social equitythat support social equity

Provide consultation to programs on possible Provide consultation to programs on possible intervention strategies at the environmental, intervention strategies at the environmental, policy, and legislative levelspolicy, and legislative levels

Collaborate with public health law effortsCollaborate with public health law efforts

Committees Committees (continued)(continued)

Global MattersGlobal MattersConnect efforts to name and address the Connect efforts to name and address the impacts of racism on the health and well-being impacts of racism on the health and well-being of the United States with global efforts to of the United States with global efforts to achieve social equityachieve social equity

Educate members of organizations about global Educate members of organizations about global initiatives and developments around social initiatives and developments around social equityequity

Committees Committees (continued)(continued)

Liaison and PartnershipLiaison and PartnershipDevelop partnerships with Develop partnerships with representatives from multiple representatives from multiple organizational levels interested in organizational levels interested in naming and addressing racismnaming and addressing racism

Nurture youth and involve seniors in the Nurture youth and involve seniors in the work of the organizationwork of the organization

Anticipated work productsAnticipated work products

Measures of racism for national Measures of racism for national surveyssurveys

Measures of racism for equity Measures of racism for equity impact analysis of structures, impact analysis of structures, policies, practices, and normspolicies, practices, and norms

Courses and seminars for CDCCourses and seminars for CDC

Toolkits and curricula for partnersToolkits and curricula for partners

Anticipated Work Products Anticipated Work Products (continued)(continued)

Program and policy intervention Program and policy intervention strategiesstrategies

Website, podcasts, publicationsWebsite, podcasts, publications

Speakers BureauSpeakers Bureau

Annual report with recommendations Annual report with recommendations to CDC Directorto CDC Director

AccomplishmentsAccomplishments

““Reactions to Race” module on the Reactions to Race” module on the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance SystemSystem Six-question optional moduleSix-question optional module Piloted in 2002Piloted in 2002 Now available to all statesNow available to all states Used by 16 states through 2006Used by 16 states through 2006

AccomplishmentsAccomplishmentsScientific Roadmap project in Jackson, Scientific Roadmap project in Jackson, MississippiMississippi Community-driven effort to identify and Community-driven effort to identify and

address the causes of “racial”/ethnic health address the causes of “racial”/ethnic health disparitiesdisparities

Attracted initial grant of $200,000 from the Attracted initial grant of $200,000 from the Kellogg FoundationKellogg Foundation

Model of community empowermentModel of community empowerment Recently awarded additional funding from Recently awarded additional funding from

Kellogg ($1.5m over three years)Kellogg ($1.5m over three years)

AccomplishmentsAccomplishments

““Racism Hypothesis” for the National Racism Hypothesis” for the National Children’s StudyChildren’s StudyProposal for inclusion of “Reactions to Race” Proposal for inclusion of “Reactions to Race” questions on NHANESquestions on NHANESEarly measures of institutionalized racism Early measures of institutionalized racism (structures, policies, practices, norms, values)(structures, policies, practices, norms, values)Advisors to “Unnatural Causes: Is Inequality Advisors to “Unnatural Causes: Is Inequality Making Us Sick?”Making Us Sick?”

Questions?Questions?

THANK YOU !THANK YOU !