Action steps to eliminate racism and advance equity

Data and research evidence are clear that racism is a systemic and ongoing crisis with serious consequences for the health and wellbeing of Ohioans. The 2021 Health Value Dashboard™ Equity Profiles demonstrate that communities of color in Ohio face multiple barriers to being healthy. As a result, Ohioans of color experience much poorer health outcomes.  

HPIO’s Connections Between Racism and Health policy brief explains how the health challenges faced by communities of color are rooted in racism and provides action steps to dismantle racism and advance health equity. This page, as a companion to this brief, lists resources that can be used to dismantle racism in all its forms, both at the individual (internalized and interpersonal) and systemic (institutional and structural) level. 

How can racism be eliminated?

HPIO has released three fact sheets to outline actions that can be taken to support the health and well-being of Ohioans of color and move Ohio toward a more economically vibrant and healthier future:

• State and Local Policymakers: Ensuring Ohioans of Color Have a Fair Opportunity for Good Health
• Private sector organizations: Ensuring Ohioans of Color Have a Fair Opportunity for Good Health
• Community groups and individuals: Ensuring Ohioans of Color Have a Fair Opportunity for Good Health

HPIO’s Action Steps to Eliminate Racism and Advance Equity diagram outlines how individuals and groups, private organizations and state and local government leaders can work to eliminate racism in all its forms and advance equity. 

Resources to take action

Resources are categorized based on their relevance for use by: 

• Individuals (I) 
• Organizations (O)  
• State and local government (S) 

To achieve equity and ensure that all Ohioans reach their full health potential, racism and discrimination must be eliminated for all systematically disadvantaged populations. This resource page also includes resources to support elimination of discrimination experienced by people with disabilities, LGBTQ+ communities, women and gender non-conforming individuals. 

If you have a resource you would like HPIO to consider adding to this page, please email Carrie Almasi at CAlmasi@healthpolicyohio.org. For additional equity resources, see HPIO’s equity resource page.

Acknowledge racism as a crisis (includes assessing personal and organizational awareness, attitudes and beliefs)

• One Journey: Racial Equity, Diversity & Inclusion, W.K. Kellogg Foundation ( I O)
  This guide describes the Kellogg Foundation’s racial equity journey and provides resources for other organizations looking to advance racial equity through board leadership, internal policies and practices and by leveraging networks, research and voice.

• Anti-Racist Organizational Change: Resources & Tools for Nonprofits, CommunityWise Resource Centre (O)
  A tool for nonprofits, this guide describes the process of and provides tools for starting anti-racist organizational change. 

• Confronting structural racism in research and policy analysis, Urban Institute (O) 
  This brief provides guidance for policy research organizations to address structures and systems of racism by building awareness among staff, improving data sources and methods and engaging diverse audiences. 
• Implicit bias module series, Kirwan Institute for the Study of Race and Ethnicity (I O)
  This series includes four interactive modules that help participants understand the origins of implicit associations, uncover their biases and learn strategies to address them.  
• Organizational assessment: An overlooked approach to managing diversity and addressing racism in the workplace, Journal of Diversity Management (O S)
  This article summarizes reviews of eight assessment tools organizations can use to advance diversity, uphold accountability and address racism in their work.  
• Project Implicit, Harvard (I)
  Project Implicit provides Implicit Association Tests to assess unconscious attitudes and beliefs on topics such as race, gender, disability and skin tone.   
• Race Matters: Organizational self-assessment, The Annie E. Casey Foundation (O)
  This assessment provides a tool for organizations to increase awareness about their own embedded racial inequities and develop appropriate action plans to address racism and other biases. 

Educate, train and support

• Addressing racism: Anti-racism resources, University of Minnesota Alumni Association (I O)
  This page provides books, webinars and tools that explain racial bias and systemic racism.  
• Health equity resources/tools, National Association of Chronic Disease Directors (I O S)
  Developed by the NACDD’S Health Equity Council, those involved in public health can educate themselves through a list of research and toolkits on equity, cultural competency, social determinants of health and advocacy.
• Public Health Resources for Understanding Environmental Racism, 2U Inc. (O S)
  A resource to bring awareness to the connection between environmental health and racial inequities.
• Racial equity resource guide, W.K. Kellogg Foundation (I O)
  By reviewing this resource, individuals and organizations can use data, interactive guides and workshops to increase racial equity and healing amongst their communities and in their work.  
• Racial equity tools website, Racial Equity Tools (I O S)
  Using this website, those at any level can learn about racism and how to engage in building racial equity through various research, tools and curriculums. 
• The groundwater approach: building a practical understanding of structural racism, Racial Equity Institute (I O S)
  This paper can be used to deepen individual understanding of structural racism and the need for systemic change, as well as a tool for facilitated group learning and development. 

Heal 

• Healing from the effects of internalized oppression, Community Tool Box (I O)
  This tool offers information on the impacts of racism and strategies for reducing the impacts of internalized oppression.  
• Truth, racial healing & transformation implementation guidebook, W.K. Kellogg Foundation (I O S)
  This guidebook is a community-based tool that works to engage individuals and organizations in dismantling systemic racism through active discussion of racial history, community building and organizing of spaces for racial healing.  

Recruit, support, promote and train diverse leadership and staff 

• Diversity, Racial Equity and Inclusion (DEI) work plan, 2018-2022, Oregon Metro (O S)
  This plan from Oregon Metro’s Property and Environmental Services department can serve as a guide for public and private organizations to create goals and strategies for advancing internal diversity, equity and inclusion. 
• Innovation, diversity, and market growth, Center for Talent Innovation (O)
  This report describes research findings which quantify the benefits of inclusive leadership and a diverse workforce to drive positive innovation and create a healthy workplace. 
• The voice of nonprofit talent: Perceptions of diversity in the workplace, CommonGood Careers & Level Playing Field Institute (O)
  This report reviews research examining racial diversity within the nonprofit sector and provides recommendations to build more inclusive and diverse workplaces. 
• Unrealized impact: The case for diversity, equity, and inclusion, Promise54 (O S)
  This report summarizes research on the racial/ethnic diversity of the education workforce and the effectiveness of diversity, equity and inclusion policies and practices that leaders have put into place.  

Prioritize and ensure equitable outcomes in policy 

• An analysis of state health impact assessment legislation, National Conference of State Legislatures (S)
  This report outlines the implementation of health impact assessments, which use primary data and published research to determine how legislation will affect various communities and advance priorities such as health equity. 
• Health impact reviews, Washington State Board of Health (S)
  This resources lists examples of health impact reviews conducted in Washington State, which provide policymakers with information about how proposed legislation may impact health and health equity. 
• Racial equity impact assessment guide, Race Forward (O S)
  This guide explains how Racial Equity Impact Assessments, tools which examine how proposed policies or actions will affect different racial and ethnic groups, can reduce, eliminate and prevent racial discrimination and inequities. 
• Senate Bill S1739A, New York State Senate (S)
  This New York State bill provides an example of legislation which establishes a committee to conduct racial equity impact assessments for all proposed legislation.  

Advocate for, implement and fund anti-racist polices, programs and practices that advance equity 

• Racial Equity in Public Policy: Message Guide, Voices for Healthy Kids, American Heart Association (I O)
  This guide includes messages and tips to help advocates advance the conversation on racial equity, link racial inequity and structural racism to policy and obtain specific racial equity language in policy.
• State Policy and Program Strategies to Advance Health and Racial Equity, National Academy for State Health Policy (O S)
  This chart highlights efforts by state and local governments to advance equity through cross-agency collaboration, effective use of data, and improved community input and staff diversity.
• Resources for States to Address Health Equity and Disparities, National Academy for State Health Policy (O S)
  This page features resources and examples from state policy efforts to achieve health equity.
• Executive Order 19-24: Affirming the government to government relationship between the State of Minnesota and Minnesota Tribal Nations, State
  of Minnesota (S)
  This order established that state agencies must directly collaborate with the Minnesota Tribal Nations in developing new agency policies and practices. Although unique to Minnesota, this executive order can be used as a framework to build relationships with tribal nations among other states.  
• Interim Report, COVID-19 Minority Health Strike Force (I O S)
  This interim report includes recommendations for action to address COVID-19 and its impact on people of color in Ohio. 
• Stand against racism, YWCA (I O)
  Stand Against Racism is a national campaign for individuals and organizations to work together to raise awareness about systemic racism in the U.S. through education, advocacy, civic engagement and promotion of racial justice. 
• 2020-2022 State Health Improvement plan, Ohio Department of Health (O S)
  This is a plan to strengthen state and local efforts to improve health equity, well-being and economic vitality in Ohio.
• Stress on the Streets (SOS): Race, policing, health, and increasing trust not trauma, Human Impact Partners (O S)
  This report provides an assessment of policing practices in Ohio, describes how current policing practices affect health and well-being, and points toward better practices that will help restore trust and respect, improve public health and build safer environments. 
• Strategic Practices, Health Equity Guide, (O S)
  This resource provides strategic practices that can be implemented by local health departments and other government agencies to advance equity.
• Tools and Resources, Government Alliance on Race and Equity (O S)
  This page provides resources for local and regional government to proactively work to advance racial equity, including creating racial equity plans and measuring the impact of racial equity work.

Tailor policies towards and authentically engage communities of color 

• Authentic community engagement: A key to racial equity, Voices for Racial Justice (I O)
  This resource outlines key principles for authentic community engagement, which can be accomplished by acknowledging racism, balancing power, ensuring long-term commitment and transforming challenges into strategic opportunities.  
• Equitable and inclusive civic engagement: A guide to transformative change, The Kirwan Institute, The Ohio State University (I O S)
  This guide presents six principles that promote equitable civic engagement and community development, including fostering diversity, understanding the role of race, building community commitment, embracing protest and adapting to community change.  
• National standards for culturally and linguistically appropriate services in health and health care: A blueprint for advancing and sustaining CLAS policy and practice, Office of Minority Health, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (O S)
  This blueprint outlines methods of implementing culturally and linguistically appropriate healthcare services through 15 key standards to minimize racial inequities.  
• Power moves: Your essential philanthropy assessment guide for equity and justice, National Committee for Responsive Philanthropy (O)
  For foundations and other funders, this guide provides tools to leverage grantmaking and other resources to build, share and wield power in partnership with communities. 

Collect/report disaggregated data for surveillance and outcome evaluation

• Measures to Advance Health and Opportunity, the HOPE Initiative (S)
  This data tool tracks social determinants of health and health outcomes by race, ethnicity and socioeconomic status and identifies where individual states can improve equity.
• Sources for data on social determinants of health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (I O S)
  Compiled by the CDC, this website provides links and descriptions of various data tools on key health indicators which can be used to collect and monitor disaggregated data.  
• Racial health equity: Data, Center for the Study of Racism, Social Justice, & Health (I O S)
  This resource lists data sources that examine racial health disparities on a variety of health indicators and quality of life measures and can be used to develop research and policies that address racial inequities. 
• Leading Practices to Advance Equity within Federal Agencies, Mathematica (S)
  A series of recommendations to the U.S. Office of Management and Budget about advancing equity within federal agencies, including the role of data collection and program innovation.

Resources to eliminate other forms of discrimination

• Health and disability 101 training for health department employees, National Association of County and City Health Officials (I O S)
  This training provides knowledge on the major types of disabilities, gives examples of accessible practices in health department services and discusses the benefits of promoting inclusivity for people with disabilities. 
• Self-Advocacy center, Disability Rights Ohio (I)
  This tool provides a number of resources for individuals with disabilities to engage in self-advocacy across areas such as employment, housing, transportation and voting.
• The right to make choices: International laws and decision-making by people with disabilities, Autistic Self Advocacy Network (I)
  This toolkit educates people with and without disabilities on supported decision-making and explains how international law maintains freedoms and independence for people with disabilities. 
• Disability and Health Data System, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (O S)
  This interactive tool provides data on health outcomes for people with disabilities, including demographic data and data on access to care and expenditures.
• Unlocking Potential: Innovative Library Programs Enhancing the Lives of Autistic Individuals, this article covers the various programs public libraries can implement for autistic library users and their caregivers, and the positive impact they can have on a community (I O)

Homophobia, transphobia and discrimination experienced by LGBTQ+ communities 

• Resources for LGBT equality, ACLU (I O)
  This resource lists podcasts, videos and other materials covering 5 topic areas to support LGBTQ+ equality. 

Women, gender inequality and sexism 

• Confronting and reducing sexism: A call for research on intervention, Journal of Social Issues (I O)
  This paper discusses the current literature on methods of confronting and reducing sexism by raising awareness of sexist practices and reflecting on internal biases among individuals and organizations.

Last updated 12/13/2021