Racism and Health

We want to hear from you! Please take a brief survey about your efforts to address racism.

"Racism is a system of structuring opportunity and assigning value based on the social interpretation of how one looks (which is what we call "race", that unfairly disadvantages some individuals and communities, unfairly advantages other individuals and communities, and saps the strength of the whole society through the waste of human resources." --APHA Past President Camara Jones, MD, PhD, MPH

Racism structures opportunity and assigns value based on how a person looks. The result: conditions that unfairly advantage some and unfairly disadvantage others. Racism hurts the health of our nation by preventing some people the opportunity to attain their highest level of health.

Racism may be intentional or unintentional. It operates at various levels in society. Racism is a driving force of the social determinants of health (like housing, education and employment) and is a barrier to health equity.  

To achieve health equity and create the Healthiest Nation in One Generation, we must address injustices caused by racism. We must support actions at all levels to ensure equal opportunity for all.

Presidential Initiative, a National Campaign Against Racism

This effort builds on our commitment to social justice and health equity and raises awareness about racism's impact on the health and well-being of the nation. The initiative aims to identify all areas in which racism exists and operates and to take swift and practical steps toward health equity through its elimination. The goals are to:

• Put racism on the agenda. Name racism as a force determining the social determinants of health.
• Ask “How is racism operating here?” Identify how racism drives past and current policies, practices, norms and values that create the inequitable conditions in which we are born, grow, live, learn and age.
• Organize and strategize to act.  Promote and facilitating conversation, research and intervention to address racism and its negative impact on the health of our nation.

APHA supports National Day of Racial Healing (news release)

APHA hosted a four-part webinar series, The Impact of Racism on the Health and Well-Being of the Nation. 

Read this AJPH editorial: "Black Lives Matter: A Commentary on Racism and Public Health"