Equity, Justice, and the Role of the Health Promotion Profession in Dismantling Systemic Racism

Abstract

This is no time to engage in the luxury of cooling off or to take the tranquilizing drug of gradualism. Now is the time to make real the promise of democracy. Now is the time to rise from the dark and desolate valley of segregation to the sunlit path of racial justice. Now is the time to lift our nation from the quicksand of racial injustice to the solid rock of brotherhood. Now is the time to make justice a reality for all of God's children. It would be fatal for the nation to overlook the urgency of the moment. And while some meaningful progress toward racial justice has happened since then, systematic racism 1 is a pandemic that we must confront 2 at this moment. This editorial reviews current issues in race-based well-being disparities-particularly for Black Americans-and issues a call to action for health promotion researchers and practitioners given that we share a professional and moral duty to support health improvement for all citizens. Racial equity is characterized as "just and fair inclusion into a society in which all people can participate, prosper, and reach their full potential" 3 and is a reality when "racial disparities in health, education, wealth, and other areas do not exist." 4 On all of those fronts, there is much work to do. The vast majority of Black Americans experience at least one form of racism (systemic, interpersonal, or internalized) every day, regardless of their level of education, socioeconomic status, or profession. 5 It can be subtle or explicit, including underrepresentation, microaggressions, or a lower likelihood of being hired, developed, advanced, or promoted. 6 There is a stark and shocking lack of representation in corporate America: Fewer than 1% of Fortune 500 CEOs are Black. 7 Survey data from over 3500 professionals revealed that nearly 80% of Black individuals reported having experienced discrimination or fear of it. Nearly 40% do not feel it is ever acceptable to discuss their experience of bias, which in turn results in increased feelings of isolation and alienation that increase their risk of leaving their company within a year by 3-fold and their risk of being disengaged by 13 times. 8 Black workers feel less supported and committed to their jobs than their non-black peers 6 perhaps in part because many struggle with feeling

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“…Equity, Justice, and the Role of the Health Promotion Profession in Dismantling Systemic Racism. Sara S. Johnson, Ph.D. 2…”

“…Many are saying that it is time to desegregate the workforce in health care and make mastery of the effects of structural racism a core professional medical competency." 2,12 "Effective health promotion solutions that meet the needs of a diverse array of team members cannot be developed without more representation of those voices and perspectives." Sara Johnson…”

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“…My colleague Sara Johnson, a contributing editor for this journal, recently wrote a powerful editorial detailing many ways health promotion professionals can play a leadership role in dismantling systemic racism. 3 Like the quality improvement movement in corporate America, a racial equality movement will require that hierarchical management philosophies be replaced with systems thinking and exhortations to do better will be usurped by commitments to enact systemic reforms. This calls for equal measures of organizational leadership, policy transformations, and powerful tools and trainings that foster equity and inclusion.…”

“…My colleague Sara Johnson, a contributing editor for this journal, recently wrote a powerful editorial detailing many ways health promotion professionals can play a leadership role in dismantling systemic racism. 3…”

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“…For the sake not only of BIPOC, but communities and societies as a whole, racial injustice can no longer be ignored or minimalized. 1 Racism in medicine dates to antiquity. Byrd and Clayton noted that the ancient Greeks viewed all slaves as inherently inferior and less intelligent, and that Aristotle displayed particular prejudice toward Black and Asian people.…”