CDC Racism and Health
Work Group
Academy for Health Equity Conference
June 26, 2008
History
Measures of Racism Working Group - Established
October 2000
 Led by Dr. Camara Jones
Racism and Health Workgroup established as Official
CDC workgroup 2008
Develop a framework for understanding how racism
impacts the health of Americans
Review currently available measures of racism
Identify or develop measures of racism for use on
national data collection efforts
What is racism?
A system of structuring opportunity and
assigning value based on the social
interpretation of how one looks (“race”)
Source: Jones CP, Phylon 2003
Racism
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Unfairly advantages other individuals and
communities
Unfairly disadvantages some individuals and
communities
Saps the strength of the whole society
through the waste of human resources
Source: Jones CP, Phylon 2003
Vision
A nation free of racism and the class
divisions that racism supports.
Such a nation will be a healthy society in
which ALL people are highly valued and
ALL people are able to develop to their full
potential.
Mission
To provide research and policy analysis on
health promotion, on prevention of disease,
injury, and disability, and on provision of healthy
environments, so that all people, especially those
at higher risk due to societal inequities, will
achieve their optimal lifespan with the best
possible quality of health in every stage of life.
United Nations Educational, Scientific, and
Cultural Organization (UNESCO)
“Racism includes racist ideologies,
prejudiced attitudes, discriminatory
behavior, structural arrangements and
institutionalized practices resulting in racial
inequality as well as the fallacious notion
that discriminatory relations between
groups are morally and scientifically
justifiable;
UNESCO (continued)
it is reflected in discriminatory provisions in
legislation or regulations and
discriminatory practices as well as in antisocial beliefs and acts; it hinders the
development of its victims, perverts those
who practice it, divides nations internally,
impedes international co-operation and
gives rise to political tensions between
peoples;
UNESCO (continued)
it is contrary to the fundamental principles
of international law and, consequently,
seriously disturbs international peace and
security.”2
Public Health Mission
Name racism as a threat to the health and wellbeing of the nation
Identify the mechanisms by which it operates,
Develop interventions that dismantle the
mechanisms of racism and
Develop/Support equitable structures, policies,
practices, and norms so that a healthy society
can be realized
Membership
General members
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75 Persons currently employed at
CDC/ATSDR
Associate members
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78 Persons NOT currently employed at
CDC/ATSDR:
other federal agencies, academia, health
departments, community members and
others
Purpose
Facilitate research and intervention on
racism, which is a threat to the physical
and mental health and well-being of the
nation, in order to promote the public’s
health.
Objectives
1. Identify or propose measures of
racism that can be used in research
and intervention on the impacts of
racism on the health and well-being of
the nation
2. Identify the mechanisms by which
racism operates and has its adverse
impacts on health
Objectives
3. Promote the development of
interventions to eliminate racism and
prevent its adverse impacts on health
4. Contribute to a national conversation
regarding the impacts of racism on the
health and well-being of the nation
Committee Organization
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
Science & Publications
Policy & Legislation
Liaison & Partnership
Education & Development
Communication & Dissemination
Organizational Excellence
Global Matters
Committees
Science and Publications
Develop methods for improving the quality of
science and research on racism as a
fundamental cause of health disparities and
social inequity.
Serve as liaison to the CDC Excellence in
Science Committee
NHANES reactions to race Question: How
often do you think about your race?
Committees (continued)
Education and Development
Provide widespread education and staff
development opportunities on racism and
health for CDC/ATSDR and its partners, such
as:
Design training programs
Develop curricula
Sponsor seminars, workshops, film series
Initiate expert panels on public health and
racism
Create educational pipelines
Committees (continued)
Communication and Dissemination
Facilitate the sharing of information to the larger
community at CDC/ATSDR and beyond,
including directly to local communities and the
general public
Develop and maintain mechanisms for
information sharing and communication
Host RAHW website
Committees (continued)
Organizational Excellence
Examine implications of racism with regard to
structures, policies, programs, practices, norms,
and values within public health systems
including academia, government, and
community
Explore ethical considerations of public health
obligations and political regulations
Progress institutional work of RAHW
Committees (continued)
Policy and Legislation
Review existing policy and legislation for
differential impacts by “race”/ethnicity
Develop guidelines for new policy and legislation
that support social equity
Provide consultation to programs on possible
intervention strategies at the environmental,
policy, and legislative levels
Collaborate with public health law efforts
Committees (continued)
Global Matters
Connect efforts to name and address the
impacts of racism on the health and well-being
of the United States with global efforts to
achieve social equity
Educate members of organizations about global
initiatives and developments around social
equity
Committees (continued)
Liaison and Partnership
Develop partnerships with
representatives from multiple
organizational levels interested in
naming and addressing racism
Nurture youth and involve seniors in the
work of the organization
Anticipated work products
Measures of racism for national
surveys
Measures of racism for equity
impact analysis of structures,
policies, practices, and norms
Courses and seminars for CDC
Toolkits and curricula for partners
Anticipated Work Products
(continued)
Program and policy intervention
strategies
Website, podcasts, publications
Speakers Bureau
Annual report with recommendations
to CDC Director
Accomplishments
“Reactions to Race” module on the
Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance
System
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Six-question optional module
Piloted in 2002
Now available to all states
Used by 16 states through 2006
Accomplishments
Scientific Roadmap project in Jackson,
Mississippi
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Community-driven effort to identify and
address the causes of “racial”/ethnic health
disparities
Attracted initial grant of $200,000 from the
Kellogg Foundation
Model of community empowerment
Recently awarded additional funding from
Kellogg ($1.5m over three years)
Accomplishments
“Racism Hypothesis” for the National
Children’s Study
Proposal for inclusion of “Reactions to Race”
questions on NHANES
Early measures of institutionalized racism
(structures, policies, practices, norms, values)
Advisors to “Unnatural Causes: Is Inequality
Making Us Sick?”
Questions?
THANK YOU !