Through storytelling, reflection, creative expression and strategic planning, participants in the Antiracism through Troubled Waters: Empowering Advocacy and Harnessing Creative and Strategic Approaches session, hosted by APHA’s Public Health Nursing Section, examined their own experiences with antiracism in public health at APHA 2025 on Saturday.

Rebecca Shasanmi-Ellis, one of the facilitators of the event, said the Public Health Nursing Section has been examining the intersection of race and public health for over a decade and has made a strategic effort to “weave antiracism into the way our Section is operating.” Former APHA President Camara Jones recognized racism as a public health threat long before that conversation entered the mainstream, Shasanmi-Ellis said.

This year’s antiracism session marked the 10th anniversary of the Public Health Nursing Section’s annual pre-conference on practice, research and policy responses to racism. 

“Antiracism is from that standpoint of alleviating the systemic issues that are impacting the health outcomes of our nation as a whole,” Shasanmi-Ellis said. “I think we know that race is a social construct, but it’s also been made a power construct within the way our country works and within many, many nations that have had chattel slavery, and this stratification is based on the color of your skin.”

Shasanmi-Ellis informed participants that the room was a judgment-free zone, especially because everyone sits at different spots on the antiracism spectrum. Some people are just beginning to understand how antiracism can broaden their understanding of the social determinants of health, while others have been active in deconstructing racism for years.

Participants were invited to reflect on their own lived experiences and share what they believe are their strengths in the antiracism and public health space — and what vulnerabilities they may need to improve upon.

Some participants said they have difficulty balancing their confidence with humility or they have imposter syndrome. One participant said her strength comes from her biracial family background, which has helped her understand the prejudices and misconceptions of both the Latino community and the white community.

Crystal Garvey, who also facilitated the session, said it can be triggering for some people to talk about issues related to race and their impacts on health. Garvey, who lives in Toronto, said her experience facing racism at home is somewhat different from when she travels to the U.S.

To protect her mental well-being, Garvey said she’s gotten in the habit of “unplugging” to take a break. The constant barrage of news and opinion, combined with the proliferation of social media, can take its toll on public health workers — particularly with the current political and social climate in America.

In April, the National Institutes of Health, which had been the largest funder of biomedical research, abruptly canceled federal research grants. Research grants related to LGBTQ+ people, racial groups and anything else deemed as “diversity, equity and inclusion” were ended.

That month, APHA, along with the UAW (formally named the International Union, United Automobile, Aerospace and Agricultural Implement Workers of America) and Ibis Reproductive Health, filed a lawsuit challenging the cancellation. In the civil complaint, APHA and its co-plaintiffs alleged NIH staff were directed to eliminate research on disfavored topics and populations, a move that will delay medical discoveries that drive advancements in diagnosing, preventing and treating life-threatening diseases. 

Photo by Jacob Wackerhausen, courtesy iStockphoto