In light of the continued killings of unarmed Black people in the United States–most recently the highly publicized murders of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and Ahmaud Arbery–and the protests that are occurring in our home of Richmond and across the country, the VCU Center on Society and Health wants to reaffirm its condemnation of racism in all its forms. We stand in solidarity with those seeking racial justice and commit to continuing to shed light on, and move toward resolving, racist systems and structures that fuel inequities in health. 

Racism is a human rights and public health crisis and should be treated as such by anyone with a stake or influence in population health or public health practice, including public health practitioners, officials at all levels of government, community leaders of all backgrounds, educators, health care providers, and more.

Whether through excessive police force and criminal justice abuses, vigilantism, disproportionate exposure to deadly viruses and risk factors for chronic disease, reduced access to resources for good health, or other biases and discrimination, Black and brown people in the United States die sooner and live sicker lives than their white counterparts. The pain and suffering that have inspired recent activism around the country share the same history and root causes as the long-standing disparate health outcomes that have claimed so many lives. These health inequities are, unequivocally, by design. The United States government and its citizens are rightly being called upon to right the damage done by the racist ideas and institutional racism that pervade our society.

Everyone has a stake in the health and well-being of our Black and brown brothers and sisters. We hope that we can all take inspiration in the fact that, because this was done by design, it can be undone too. 

To learn more about racial justice issues and how to get involved, visit: Racial Equity Tools, Race Forward, America & Moore, and the Virginia Center for Inclusive Communities.