Advancing Equity: A Generational Legacy
By: Rachel Hodgdon
Tags: Health, Equity, Diversity And Inclusion, Leadership, Diversity

Photo credit: Rachel Hodgdon

Looking at legislative and corporate governance advances in the US over the last several years, it would be easy to view the progress we’ve made in the struggle for greater equity as a twenty-first-century phenomenon.

And yet, it’s important to acknowledge these achievements — the landmark 2015 ruling legalizing same-sex marriage, for example — not merely as a product of recent social enlightenment but as the result of many generations of activism. Taking a broader historical perspective also makes it less likely we’ll take our successes for granted. If we can learn anything from the past, it’s that freedoms are hard won — and even harder kept.

As part of the work we’ve been doing at IWBI around health equity, I’ve been thinking a lot about how many people — even in a wealthy country like America — are disadvantaged from birth by circumstances over which they have no control, often encountering discriminatory behaviors throughout their lives that prevent them from fulfilling their potential.

These systemic prejudices impact personal, social and professional opportunities, impoverishing our nation’s political, economic and cultural landscape. It’s a deeply embedded societal pattern that’s hard to disrupt.

Racial and gendered biases have been skewing our society for centuries: while #MeToo and #BlackLivesMatter social movements have recently become powerful platforms for action, the wounds they aim to heal have accrued over generations. The drive for real and lasting change has undoubtedly garnered momentum in the last few years but we can all recognize its roots in the very same struggles our parents and grandparents have been confronting for decades.

Both my grandmothers were notionally disadvantaged — by their gender, ethnicity and religion — and yet the lives they chose to lead have positively impacted my view of the world and of what I can achieve in it.

My maternal grandmother was the first from her family (with a lineage that could be traced back for thousands of years) to marry a non-Chinese person. Her husband, my grandfather, was a fair-skinned, red-haired, Irish Catholic, whose family cut ties with him after he married my grandmother. My paternal grandmother lost her husband when my dad was just six years old, leaving her a young widow, a working mother and the sole Jewish lady in town. Over the course of their lives both my grandmothers experienced prejudice from many people in many places.

As a child, my otherness was always evident and could have been a source of anxiety or shame. But my experience as part of this extraordinary family tree was an inclusive one. Rather than feeling ashamed of the things that set me apart from my peers — whether it was the color of my skin or because I was the only Jewish kid in the class — I was brought up to be proud of the things that made me different.

It’s not always an easy way to live, though. I’m lucky to have enjoyed the support that has underpinned my personal and professional progress. I wasn’t worried about coming out to my family or community. Though I know it’s a harrowing experience for many. Thanks to their courage, my grandmothers were able to pass on a legacy of open-mindedness that lives in me, and informs my thinking, to this day.

We’ve seen that it takes generations to unravel legacies of bias, injustice, and hate that have deeply rooted themselves in the minds and hearts of individuals and societies as a whole. We can already witness the cultural changes that are happening as members of Gen-Z and Millennials increasingly occupy leadership roles and call upon their organizations, governments and communities to examine and redress injustice and inequality.

Activism isn’t all about grand gestures: the change that can happen when we consistently disrupt social patterns is exciting and powerful. Continuing important work, whether by following in the footsteps of civil rights leaders or of quiet activists like my grandmothers can lead to profound shifts in perspective and culture — whether it’s marriage rights, voting rights or the law that is currently being considered by Congress to increase federal protections for women and members of the LGBTQ+ community.

The struggles we’ve seen play out in 2020 have exposed a dark underbelly of discriminatory and prejudiced thinking that still pervades our society. At IWBI we know that organizations have a critical role to play in creating places where everyone has an equal opportunity to do their best work, to be healthy and well, and ultimately to thrive. We want WELL to be a roadmap for doing just that, building upon the 25 WELL features that address themes across justice, diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility.

We’re calling upon leaders in advancing health equity from activists, to executives, to religious leaders to identify how to strengthen WELL as a vehicle for leveling the playing field for everyone everywhere. If you’re inspired to join our movement, you can contact us at healthequity@wellcertified.com.

Rachel Hodgdon is President and CEO of the International WELL Building Institute (IWBI), a public benefit corporation and the world’s leading organization focused on deploying people first places to advance a global culture of health.