A new effort at the Tulane School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine aims to revise the way racial health disparities are discussed, studied and taught in the classroom and beyond.
The work, supported by students, school administrators, faculty and staff, included several public seminars and discussions this spring. The goal? To name and define racism, ask “how is racism operating here?” in personal and professional situations, and strategize to act.
Last week, that effort included two multi-day Undoing Racism workshops, facilitated by the People’s Institute for Survival and Beyond, and hosted by the Tulane Center of Excellence in Maternal and Child Health (CEMCH) and Tulane Mary Amelia Women’s Center (MAC). More than 50 people attended, including students, faculty, staff, and partners from local organizations.
“We anticipate attendees will take what they’ve learned – new language and methods for examining and addressing racism – and apply it to their work, whether that’s in classes, research, or community engagement,” said Shokufeh Ramirez, Assistant Director of the Tulane CEMCH.
Each workshop is designed to educate, challenge and empower people to “undo” the racist structures that hinder effective social change. The training – which the People’s Institute facilitates regularly worldwide – is based on the premise that racism has been systematically constructed and that it can be “undone” when people understand where it comes from, how it functions, why it is perpetuated, and what we can do to dismantle it.
In conjunction with Undoing Racism, another series of public seminars this spring called “Racing Toward Equity” also focused on cultivating equity.
“All of these discussions and workshops aim to elevate Tulane’s commitment to diversity, justice, and equity, especially when it comes to health and how systems have been designed to negatively impact communities of color,” said Kat Theall, Director of MAC and associate professor in Global Community Health and Behavioral Sciences.
By Naomi King Englar
Naomi King Englar is the communications coordinator for the Tulane Center of Excellence in Maternal and Child Health
