ANTI-RACISM STATEMENT

Greetings OPHA members and public health partners:

The Oklahoma Public Health Association recognizes racism as a public health issue. As public health professionals, we ask you to join us in acknowledging Oklahoma’s legacy of violence and injustice in the black community and its contributions to the (ever-present or chronic) social, economic and community obstacles. These obstacles and conditions negatively impact their ability to achieve the highest level of health and include:

• Poverty
• Systemic racism
• Discrimination
• Limited access to quality health care
• Education
• Lack of representation during decision-making processes
• Violence
• Health hazards
• Unique cultural and linguistic factors
• And many more

OPHA is committed to amplifying the voices of our black community and investing in their role as trusted advisors to ensure our alignment and dedication of resources is authentic, collaborative and community-centered. We promise to lean deeper into current and future partnerships to reverse the impact of injustices through advocacy and utilizing OPHA’s resources to eliminate barriers to advancement.

As stated by former American Public Health Association president, Dr. Camara Jones, “Racism is a complex system and we must dedicate time and resources to unraveling how racism operates here (structure, practices, policies and values).”

Please join us in our fight against racism as well as aggression themes and tendencies rooted in systemic oppression at every level, micro or macro. We have much work to do, and the time is now! 

• Listen to a 13-minute talk by Hasan Kwame Jeffries about institutionalized racism in U.S. history. https://www.zinnedproject.org/materials/two-thumbs-up/. 

• Take the Cultural Competence Self-assessment tool designed to help you: (1) think about your skills, knowledge and awareness in interactions with others and (2) identify areas of strength and areas needing further development. http://www.coloradoedinitiative.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/cultural-competence-self-assessment-checklist.pdf
• Dismantling Racism Project at Western States Center- Assessing Organizational Racism https://www.racialequitytools.org/resourcefiles/westernstates2.pdf

Best,

OPHA Executive Board