Addressing Racism As a Public Health Issue Through the Lens of Environmental Health Disparities and Environmental Justice

Purpose

The workshop fostered dialogue among NIEHS employees, outside researchers, and members of the community to examine racism as a public health issue. The workshop seeks to:

• Raise awareness of the problem of systemic racism in America and its contributing role to Environmental Health Disparities (EHD).
• Inform the NIEHS community of current EHD research and outreach activities in Environmental Justice (EJ).
• Engage regional and local community leaders involved in EJ advocacy networks to discuss best practices for community engagement.

Background

The social unrest and protests that erupted in 2020, helped spur the need for the American people to have serious discussions about race and the systems that have contributed to growing health disparities and disproportionate environmental exposures. In one of his first acts after being inaugurated on January 20, 2021, President Biden issued an Executive Order On Advancing Racial Equity and Support for Underserved Communities Through the Federal Government. This directive encourages a comprehensive approach for promoting equity for all, especially people of color.

This workshop focused on the systemic problem of racism in America and its contributing role to EHD. It included keynote presentations and interactive panel discussions that feature national and local EJ leaders.

Workshop Materials

See the Speaker Abstracts, Speakers, and Resources of this free virtual workshop.

More Information

If you have questions about the workshop, please contact one of the following committee members:

Darlene Dixon, D.V.M., Ph.D.
Group Leader

Tel 984-287-3848
dixon@niehs.nih.gov

Sharon D. Beard, M.S.
Branch Chief;
Worker Education and Training Branch

Tel 984-287-3237
Fax 301-451-5595
beard1@niehs.nih.gov