APHA calls out racism in new webinar series

APHA’s newest equity series kicks off next week with a discussion on racism and the social determinants of health. 

From disparities in COVID-19 deaths to police brutality and killings, racism is a driving force of inequities in our communities. In a new webinar series from APHA — Advancing Racial Equity — public health leaders will explore the historic, systemic and ongoing role of racism in people’s health and discuss principles for moving the nation toward health equity. 

The first in the free webinar series, "Racism: The Ultimate Underlying Condition," takes place Tuesday, June 9, from 2-3:30 p.m. EDT and will examine the impact of racism on health and well-being, and focus on ways to begin dismantling barriers to equity. Registration is now open. 

The Tuesday webinar will feature a number of well-known disparities researchers, including APHA Past President Camara Phyllis Jones, MD, PhD, MPH, a senior fellow at Morehouse School of Medicine, and Amani Allen, PhD, MPH, executive associate dean at the University of California-Berkeley School of Public Health.

“Racism is a longstanding systemic structure in this country that must be dismantled through brutally honest conversations, policy changes and practices,” said APHA Executive Director Georges Benjamin, MD, in a recent APHA news release on police violence and the killing of George Floyd, an unarmed black man in Minneapolis. “Racism attacks people’s physical and mental health. And racism is an ongoing public health crisis that needs our attention now.” 

Register today for "Racism: The Ultimate Underlying Condition," and stay tuned for information on the series’ upcoming webinars on police violence, maternal health, housing and more. Webinars from APHA’s 2015 series on the Impact of Racism on the Health and Well-Being of the Nation are still available for download and are recommended listening before Tuesday’s event.

For information about other APHA work in this space, visit our Racism and Health page.