Poverty & Safety Net
Article

Moving Past Declarations: Confronting the Barriers

Taneisha Fair
Associate, Racial Equity
Additional Contributors
No items found.
December 12, 2022
Read time:
Download Fact Sheets
Register now
Share this resource
Subscribe to our Newsletter
By subscribing you agree to with our Privacy Policy.
Thank you! Your submission has been received!
Oops! Something went wrong while submitting the form.
Download this as a PDF

Dr. Camara Jones, past-President of the APHA, identified three steps to move beyond public health declarations into actions that actually address racism. The steps Dr. Jones suggests are to: 1. name racism, 2. identify the mechanisms by which racism operates, and 3. build strategy and take action. Part 1 of this series focuses on the first 2 of 3 steps.  

Before diving into building a strategy and taking action, it is helpful to consider barriers that can make these first two steps considerably difficult. They can often result in an inability to collectively move beyond making declarations and engaging solely in performative actions. As a society, many of us are still struggling with the first step to acknowledge racism’s existence and harmful impacts today.

 Achieving health equity requires valuing all individuals and populations equally, recognizing and rectifying historical injustices, and providing resources according to need.

Dr. Jones observes that “Achieving health equity requires valuing all individuals and populations equally, recognizing and rectifying historical injustices, and providing resources according to need.” She outlines 3 major cultural barriers that can hinder achieving health equity and eliminating disparities that stem from racism:

  1. Individualism
  2. Disconnecting the history of racism from its current symptoms
  3. Endorsing the myth of meritocracy

Individualism

Western culture is heavily focused on “the individual”. It is normalized to focus on a person’s self-interest rather than that of the collective of society. Both popular and professional culture often encourage competition instead of the need for interdependence. Cultural individualism can dilute impact of current systems until they are virtually invisible, making it easier to believe that inequities are not a symptom of these systems.

Disconnecting the history of racism from its current symptoms

Dr. Jones launched her National Campaign Against Racism as a response to the fact that many are in denial that racism is foundational to our national history. Two common ways this disconnection is practiced are refusing to acknowledge the connection between racism and the inequities that are present today, and believing that the societal advantages that were intentionally codified generations ago are coincidental, or merely a measure of merit and effort.

Endorsing the myth of meritocracy

Meritocracy is the idea that those who work hard will be rewarded for their efforts, and that those who are ahead of others have earned their place based on their own skills and accomplishments. However, this “boot-strap” mentality ignores the effects of racism on Black and Brown communities, and attributes inequities across health and other areas to a lack of individual responsibility.

 “Boot-strap” mentality ignores the effects of racism on Black and Brown communities and attributes inequities across health and other areas to a lack of individual responsibility.

In addition, “rewards” given to counterparts of different races who possess the same work ethic or education are often not equal. For instance, research shows college-educated Black women have higher risks of maternal death than white women with only a high school diploma. Where is the merit in that?  

If we are to finally eradicate the social ill that is racism, we must address cultural barriers that can dampen our efforts to take a truthful look at our past in order to have a brighter and more equitable future.

Download Fact Sheets

District 10

Download

All Council Districts 2024

Download

District 4

Download

District 2

Download

District 11

Download

District 9

Download

District 8

Download

District 5

Download

District 7

Download

District 1

Download

District 3

Download

District 6

Download

West Boulevard

Download

University

Download

Union-Miles

Download

Tremont

Download

Stockyards

Download

St.Clair-Superior

Download

Old Brooklyn

Download

Ohio City

Download

North Shore Collinwood

Download

Mount Pleasant

Download

Lee-Seville

Download

Lee-Harvard

Download

Kinsman

Download

Kamm's Corners

Download

Jefferson

Download

Goodrich-Kirtland Park

Download

Glenville

Download

Fairfax

Download

Euclid-Green

Download

Edgewater

Download

Downtown

Download

Detroit Shoreway

Download

Cudell

Download

Collinwood-Nottingham

Download

Clark-Fulton

Download

Central

Download

Buckeye-Woodhill

Download

Buckeye-Shaker Square

Download

Brooklyn Centre

Download

Broadway-Slavic Village

Download

Bellaire-Puritas

Download

All Neighborhoods 2024

Download

West Boulevard Factsheet

Download

University Neighborhood Factsheet

Download

Union-Miles Neighborhood Factsheet

Download

Tremont Neighborhood Factsheet

Download

Stockyards Neighborhood Factsheet

Download

St. Clair-Superior Neighborhood Factsheet

Download

Old Brooklyn Neighborhood Factsheet

Download

Ohio City Neighborhood Factsheet

Download

North Shore Collinwood Neighborhood Factsheet

Download

Mount Pleasant Neighborhood Factsheet

Download

Lee-Seville Neighborhood Factsheet

Download

Lee-Harvard Neighborhood Factsheet

Download

Kinsman Neighborhood Factsheet

Download

Kamm's Neighborhood Factsheet

Download

Jefferson Neighborhood Factsheet

Download

Hough Neighborhood Factsheet

Download

Hopkins Neighborhood Factsheet

Download

Goodrich-Kirtland Park Neighborhood Factsheet

Download

Glenville Neighborhood Factsheet

Download

Fairfax Neighborhood Factsheet

Download

Euclid-Green Neighborhood Factsheet

Download

Edgewater Neighborhood Factsheet

Download

Downtown Neighborhood Factsheet

Download

Detroit Shoreway Neighborhood Factsheet

Download

Cuyahoga Valley Neighborhood Factsheet

Download

Cudell Neighborhood Factsheet

Download

Collinwood-Nottingham Neighborhood Factsheet

Download

Clark-Fulton Neighborhood Factsheet

Download

Central Neighborhood Factsheet

Download

Buckeye-Shaker Square Neighborhood Factsheet

Download

Brooklyn Centre Neighborhood Factsheet

Download

Broadway-Slavic Village Neighborhood Factsheet

Download

Bellaire-Puritas Neighborhood Factsheet

Download

All Neighborhoods 2016

Download

District 2

Download

District 1

Download

Ohio Women Statewide

Download

All Women Fact Sheets

Download

Wyandot Women

Download

Wood Women

Download

Williams Women

Download

Wayne Women

Download

Washington Women

Download

Warren Women

Download

Vinton Women

Download

Van Wert Women

Download

Union Women

Download

Tuscarawas Women

Download

Trumbell Women

Download

Summit Women

Download

Stark Women

Download

Shelby Women

Download

Seneca Women

Download

Scioto Women

Download

Sandusky Women

Download
Thank you! Your submission has been received!
Oops! Something went wrong while submitting the form.
Download report

Subscribe to our newsletter

5 Things you need to know arrives on Mondays with the latest articles, events, and advocacy developments in Ohio

Explore the fact sheets

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique.

No Related Fact Sheets

Explore Topics

Browse articles, research, and testimony.