Collaborated with government agencies to explicitly name racism as a public health crisis and commit to racial justice efforts.

We are working with government agencies to strengthen their practices and responsibilities in directly addressing structural barriers—which lead to significant racial inequities—by highlighting what long-term work entails to honor and operationalize their racial justice and equity commitments. We partnered with Los Angeles County’s Anti-Racism, Diversity, and Inclusion (ARDI) Initiative to identify and advance anti-racist policy strategies and to develop an anti-racist framework for analyzing policy. In Riverside County, CA we are supporting efforts to operationalize their resolution declaring racism a public health crisis through developing a strategic plan. The plan is being informed by best practices from across the country, input from community residents, and collaboration with County staff. At the federal level, Elva Yañez, Senior Advisor for Parks, Land Use, and the Built Environment, was appointed by Secretary Deb Haaland, U.S. Department of the Interior, to the newly established Advisory Committee on Reconciliation in Place Names. This historic Advisory Committee was formed under Secretarial Order 3405 to address racist and offensive place names across the United States. The Committee’s 17 advisors represent Tribes and Tribal organizations, Native Hawaiian organizations, and the public, and will identify and recommend changes to derogatory terms for places throughout the country. Funders: LA County Anti-Racism, Diversity, and Inclusion Initiative; The California Endowment; Riverside University Health System; W.K. Kellogg Foundation. Photo by Nathan Dumlao.