The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recently issued a declaration reflecting what many already realized: racism is a threat to public health and a fundamental cause of health inequity in the United States. As we continue to grapple with COVID-19, now is the time to move beyond research that shines a light on health disparities and provide evidence of what works to address structural racism and improve health equity.
Racism shapes virtually every aspect of life, opportunity, and well-being. It harms individuals and hurts the health of our nation by unfairly lifting up some and oppressing others.
We must evolve from Public Health 3.0, which emphasizes cross-sector collaboration and improving social determinants of health, to Public Health 4.0, which is community centered and driven by those most affected, to address racism as a public health issue in and outside the context of pandemic response efforts. We must collectively hold accountable the systems allowing racism to continue to be a barrier to health equity. (abbreviated author abstract)