A Racial Equity Lens

Posted on November 19th, 2020 by lbrown
Here is day 20 of the Equity Challenge!  Please make sure to check out local ways to continue the conversation including the United Way’s wrap up event on December 3rd and the Gandhi Institute’s Nonviolence News Happy Hour, and an upcoming talk by Dr. Beverly Daniel Tatum at the University of Rochester.
DAY 20: A RACIAL EQUITY LENS
One key element of the Racial Equity Challenge is to build the awareness, skill, and will to challenge. Challenge distorted history, stereotypes, implicit biases, single stories, and the continued use of discriminatory practices that prevent progress.
This also means challenging our own ideas, perceptions, and understandings by actively experiencing things through a racial equity lens, and resetting our programming to see all people as individuals rather than members of a certain group that we have (consciously or unconsciously) affixed with labels and expectations.
Dr. Eddie Moore, Jr., racial equity educator, author and co-founder of the 21-Day Racial Equity Habit Building Challenge, recommends changing what you notice. Next time you’re with family, in your workplace or out in the world, pay attention to:
  • Who are your ten closest friends? What is the racial mix in this group?
  • How much time each day you are with people of your own racial identity?
  • What are the last five books you read or shows you watched? What is the racial mix of the authors, characters or actors?
Check out the resources and self-reflection below to develop a stronger understanding of this issue, consider new ways to see life through a racial equity lens, and move toward building a racial equity culture at your work and in your personal life.
The 21-Day Racial Equity Challenge does not support nor endorse any advertisements associated with the above content.
Questions to Consider for Self-Reflection:
  • What stereotypes, perceptions or understandings do you hold that you would like to challenge?
  • How can diverse communities and leaders be engaged from the outset so they have a real opportunity to shape racial equity solutions and strategies?
Local Ways to Get Involved:
  • Sign up for the 21-Day Racial Equity Challenge Wrap-Up event on December 3 from 2-3:30 p.m. hosted by YWCA of Rochester & Monroe County, Racial Equity & Justice Initiative (REJI), Causewave Community Partners, Catholic Charities Community Services, Common Ground Health, Excellus BlueCross BlueShield, Rochester-Monroe Anti-Poverty Initiative (RMAPI), University of Rochester, and United Way of Greater Rochester
  • Join the conversation at the M.K. Gandhi Institute Nonviolence News Happy Hour
  • Register for the University of Rochester Diversity Advisory Council and the Office of Equity and Inclusion’s virtual event featuring award-winning educational leader, best-selling author, and expert on the psychology of racism, Dr. Beverly Daniel Tatum, on November 30 from 7-8 p.m.
Share What You Learned:
Use the images below to share that you learned about race and equity today, and be sure to include #ROCequity.
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Posted in: Diversity Equity and Inclusion

How Racism Impacts Your Health

Posted on November 4th, 2020 by lbrown
Today’s resources focus on racial disparities in healthcare and life expectancy and introduce the idea of social health determinants. Did you know that a child born in Pittsford’s 14534 ZIP code is expected to live 9 years longer than a child born in the City of Rochester’s 14608 ZIP code?
DAY 9: HOW RACISM IMPACTS YOUR HEALTH
In Day 7 we talked about some of the negative mental health outcomes caused by racism (remember, you can go back at any time to view previous days of the Racial Equity Challenge here).
Today, we will go deeper into how overall health is dramatically impacted by racism and discrimination. As explained in this report by Common Ground Health, social determinants of health—the conditions in which people are born, live work, and age—account for 80% of a person’s health and wellness (while just 20% is attributed to clinical or medical care).
Some examples of social determinants of health include economic factors like job status, income, and medical bills; living conditions including housing, access to transportation, safety, and access to parks and playgrounds; educational opportunities like early childhood support, literacy, and access to training; access to healthy food; social support and levels of stress; and quality of health care.
Throughout this Challenge we have explored (and will continue to examine) ways in which racism and discrimination affect social, economic, and environmental factors. With social determinants of health being impacted by racism at every turn, health status is challenged and life expectancy is drastically lower for communities of color than for their white counterparts.
Achieving health equity goes hand-in-hand with addressing racism and discrimination. Check out the content and self-reflections below to learn more about how race impacts health.
DID YOU KNOW…
A child born today in Pittsford’s 14534 ZIP code will live up to nine years longer than a child born in the City of Rochester’s 14608 ZIP code.
Option 2: Watch How Racism Makes Us Sick
The 21-Day Racial Equity Challenge does not support nor endorse any advertisements associated with the above content.
Questions to Consider for Self-Reflection:
  • Think about access to healthcare in your community. Is it easy and affordable to visit a doctor? If not, what barriers prevent people in your community from receiving the healthcare that they need?
  • Have you ever struggled to get the health care you needed? What would it be like for you to need healthcare, but not receive it?
Local Ways to Get Involved:
Share What You Learned:
Use the images below to share what you learned about race and equity today, and be sure to include #ROCequity.
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Posted in: Diversity Equity and Inclusion