FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: APHA Press
Communities experiencing poor health have voiced the detrimental impacts racism has on their overall health, and leaders in the public health community are working to address health inequities caused by racism. As the American Public Health Association continues to champion efforts to address public health issues facing our nation, the second edition of the best-selling APHA Press book takes a deeper dive into the experiences of those in marginalized communities. Racism: Science &Tools for the Public Health Professional, 2nd Edition is a guide for public health professionals, policymakers, educators, and students that provides historical context, examines specific ways various forms of racism impact communities of color and offers strategies for addressing the problems. Following the release of the first edition in 2019, the COVID-19 pandemic and the 2020 murder of George Floyd by former Minneapolis police officers illustrated the clear relationship between racism, social injustice and public health crises. At the intersection of health and historical events like these lies the disproportionate burden minoritized groups bear and the reality that not all events are equally experienced.
Editors Chandra L. Ford, PhD, MPH, MLIS and Derek M. Griffith, PhD provide guidance on how to plan, develop, implement and explain interventions, pursue policy change, and conduct research on racism as a public health crisis. The book serves as a bridge connecting health equity advocates, public health professionals, community leaders, educators, and policymakers working to address inequities in marginalized communities. Qualitative and quantitative research and critical reviews presented in the book explore the types of racialized experiences and exposures diverse groups have and the related health outcomes. Dr. Griffith emphasizes the need to go beyond the research, saying, “It’s not the ‘oppression Olympics.’ It’s not trying to see who is doing worse. It is trying to figure out how do we collectively move forward.”
The book also addresses the disconnect between public health professionals and the tools that can be used to help minoritized communities. Drs. Ford and Griffith call for new approaches rooted in science and empathy to empower advocates looking to eradicate the root causes of racism. One approach involves exploring how the experiences of Black women have shaped reproductive policy for all women and how environmental justice is more than just access to clean air and water. Another approach helps build the capacity of white allies to help mitigate the human and economic costs of discrimination not only for specific populations, but for the nation as a whole.
“Based on the data that compares the health of the U.S. to other high-income countries, we are at the bottom and falling further behind. This book opens the door to learning how science can be used to improve population health and achieve health equity” adds Dr. Griffith. He also argues that racism is a particularly important term that helps us understand a broad array of factors that hinder the nation’s concrete efforts to be healthier.
“People working on the front lines of the public health profession are enthusiastic about addressing the health impacts of racism. They see its impacts in their day-to-day work. Many express a need for concrete tools (e.g., evidence, approaches, resources) that can help them move beyond merely lamenting the problems and begin to address their root causes. This book deepens their understanding of the problem, enabling them to better anticipate potential health inequities and, thus, to prevent them,” says Dr. Ford.
Interested readers can find Racism: Science & Tools for the Public Health Professional, 2nd edition in digital and print formats in the APHA Press Store. For a review copy, please contact APHA Press.
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Chandra L. Ford, PhD, MPH, MLIS is editor with Derek Griffith of Racism: Science & Tools for the Public Health Professional (APHA Press 2024), the first edition of which was named a 2020 Outstanding Academic Title by the American Library Association’s Choice Magazine. She is a Professor at Emory University where she is jointly appointed in the departments of Behavioral Social and Health Education Sciences in the Rollins School of Public Health and African American Studies in the Emory College of Arts and Sciences. She is also President of the Center for the Study of Racism, Social Justice & Health, LLC. She is widely recognized within academic public health for advancing novel critical race theory-based approaches to health equity research and practice.
Derek M. Griffith, PhD is the Risa Lavizzo-Mourey Population Health and Health Equity University Professor in the School of Nursing and the Perelman School of Medicine, and a Fellow and Senior Advisor on Health Equity and Anti-Racism for The Leonard Davis Institute of Health Economics at the University of Pennsylvania.
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The American Public Health Association serves as a convenor, catalyst and advocate to build capacity in the public health community. We speak out for public health issues and policies backed by science. With our broad-based member community and 150-year perspective, we influence federal policy to improve the public’s health. APHA publishes the American Journal of Public Health, The Nation’s Health newspaper and a collection of influential books through APHA Press. At our Annual Meeting and Expo, thousands of people share the latest public health research. We lead public awareness campaigns such as Get Ready and National Public Health Week. Together, we are creating optimal, equitable health and well-being for all. Learn more at www.apha.org.