Hi Everyone, we hope you had a great weekend.
This is a very busy week for the Start Moving – Movement is Life team. Many of us are participating in the ACT to End Racism Rally in Washington DC on Wednesday, and our very own wonderful Chair, Dr. Mary O’Connor will be joining the diverse group of speakers and performers.
The rally is organized by the National Council of Churches which represents 35 million people of all faiths, and the rally marks the 50th Anniversary of the assassination of Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., who once said:
“Of all the forms of inequality, injustice in health
is the most shocking and the most inhuman
because it often results in physical death”
It’s a much used quote but no less relevant now than when Dr. King spoke these words in 1966 in the wake of the landmark 1965 Civil Rights act, only 2 years before his untimely death on April 4th, 1968.
I’ve often had people remark to me that racism no longer really exists in America. After all, we have now had a black president and the eras of slavery and segregation are said to be over. It’s true that the civil rights movement has made important progress.
But how do we really measure the impact of progress against racism? Progress is not just about having the right to vote, the right to work and own property. It’s about health and opportunity too.
In fact, it is the state of our health in our different communities that tells us – in very clear terms – much of what we need to know about progress. This shows us that bias, structural racism and systematic exclusion of care does exist, and it is especially problematic in healthcare.
The frightening reality is that we are able to predict so much about someone’s health and life expectancy from their zip code. Many communities have very real health challenges and disparities – the big differences in how well people do according to their social group. The tragedy is that most of these differences are preventable, but there seems to be a rigged system that gets in the way.
So, if you look at peoples real lives from the perspective of their health you can see that structural racism (racism that is built into our systems of healthcare) continues to quietly, unfairly and systematically define the health destiny of millions of people of color in a negative way.
For example:
-African Americans often live much shorter lives than their Caucasian neighbors. In parts of Chicago the difference is as much as 15 years. We need to acknowledge this fact. Can we not work together to end such disparities?
-When families are so busy working several jobs at minimum wage in order to pay the rent or mortgage, they may not have time to look after themselves or provide their families with the healthiest food because they need convenience.
-Some communities are less likely to fulfil their prescriptions because of the high cost of Co-Pays.
-People working part-time jobs often do not get health insurance, so accessing the best healthcare is difficult.
-Some people are more likely to live in food desserts, but are surrounded by fast food and processed food. This impacts the nutrition and health of families.
-Hispanics and African Americans are the least likely to participate in medical research such as clinical trials. This kind of participation is one way to access the latest medical breakthroughs, but is offered less to some communities.
The truth is that even though the United States has some of the best healthcare in the world, some communities don’t get a fair shot at accessing it.
Less access means less choices, and often times doctors are frustrated because they cannot give the care they would like to because of the issues relating to insurance coverage.
The connection between poverty and health is undeniable. Equitable healthcare for all is prevented by factors such as where you live, how much you earn, who you might know, and how much you can pay.
Are there solutions we can all participate in?
Yes!
The rally this week calls on us all to A.C.T: Awake, Confront and Transform.
1.Awake.
Solutions start with the simple act of acknowledgement. We all have to recognize that this is the reality, and that we need to find ways to consciously and systematically overcome the challenges racism creates for health fairness.
2.Confront.
Start Moving – Movement is Life exists to confront health disparities found in women and minorities, and believes that being able to enjoy the movement of our bodies is a fundamental right. We are pleased to be working with the National Council of Churches to address disparities in health, and you can join the movement by following this community and participating.
3.Transform.
You can take control of your health by finding ways to move and stay active every day. Movement is freedom. We want everyone to be free to enjoy mobility, to enjoy good nutrition, and to enjoy good health and a long life. And we want everyone to have the same rights when it comes to health.
When we A.C.T. to end racism it is as good as finding a cure for the health conditions that are part of health inequality.
Links:
Rally to End Racism Website and registration: rally2endracism.org/
Rally to End Racism Facebook page (Speaker and Performer Livestream on the day) facebook.com/ACT2EndRacism/
Start Moving – Movement is Life community: healthunlocked.com/startmoving
Movement is Life Journey movementislifejourney.com
Look out for a video of Dr O'Connors speech - we'll post it as soon as we can!
Be well,
Start Moving Community
