Race to Justice - NYC Health

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Race to Justice

Years of racist policies and unjust practices among institutions, including many City institutions, have led to worse health outcomes in communities of color than in White communities. The NYC Department of Health launched the Race to Justice internal reform effort to help our staff learn what they can do to better address racial health gaps and improve health outcomes for all New Yorkers.

As part of this effort, the Department of Health is:

Educating and training our staff in how racism and other systems of oppression can affect health care.

Studying how racism has impacted our past work and creating new policies to lessen that impact.

Collaborating with local communities to search for more ways to counter systemic injustices.

To learn more about specific Race to Justice activities in your community and how you can help the City better address racial health gaps, email racetojustice@health.nyc.gov.

Race to Justice Action Kit

The Race to Justice Action Kit provides resources for individuals and organizations to understand and address the racial and social injustices that affect the health of all New Yorkers. You can use the kit to plan new activities or revise current activities, or to write communications materials for your staff or constituents.

Toolkit Assets

Cover Letter (PDF)

How to Use this Kit (PDF)

Impacts of Racism on Health (PDF): An overview of important concepts, key terms and examples of racism’s effect on historical and contemporary health.

Communications Tips (PDF): Tips to communicate effectively and respectfully about health inequity, racial equity and social justice.

Language Use Guide (PDF): Clarifications of key concepts and recommendations for the use of certain terms.

Glossary (PDF): Definitions of terms related to public health, equity, racism and other systems of oppression.

Race to Justice FAQ (PDF): Answers to commonly asked questions about key concepts, the Race to Justice initiative and other related Health Department activities.

A Guide to Using the Community Engagement Framework (PDF): An overview of why and how to implement meaningful community engagement projects, as well as definitions and examples of the four categories of community engagement.

Community Outreach Metrics and Assessment Guides: Step-by-step guides to implement meaningful community engagement projects, while using an anti-racist and social equity lens. There are guides for each community engagement category:

Outreach (PDF)

Consult (PDF)

Involve/Collaborate (PDF)

Shared Leadership (PDF)

If you have questions or suggestions, email racetojustice@health.nyc.gov.

Additional Resources

Watch former Health Commissioner Bassett discuss “Why your doctor should care about social justice”

More Information

Neighborhood Health Action Centers