I’m standing on a triangular city block in the Creston neighborhood of Grand Rapids. The triangle is formed between the streets of Coit, Quimby and Plainfield Avenue. I’m accompanied by two adults, who are leading a conversation with five high school students. The block is small, and in comparison we must look like a serious afternoon crowd to those passing by. 

By Paige Hammond and Renata Schiavo ​

 "Life or death for a young child too often depends on whether he is born in a country where vaccines are available or not.” - Nelson Mandela

Vaccines are one of the greatest achievements of public health, and thanks to various public health heroes, the threats from many dangerous diseases have been minimized - and in some countries, fully eradicated - as a result of vaccination. Vaccines play an integral role in keeping us healthy and safe, yet we often take them for granted in countries like the United States where vaccination rates are high. 

It’s Black History Month! Health Equity Initiative celebrates the many Black individuals who have contributed to the advancement of health, racial, and social equity. The social justice movement continues, but the leadership, determination, and courage of social justice pioneers throughout history has paved the way and contributed to the knowledge, strength, and power of today’s leaders.

Join us in observing the 9th National Day of Racial Healing which takes place today (Jan 21st, 2024). Started by the W.K. Kellogg Foundation (WKFF) and its community partners, the National Day of Racial Healing encourages all  to have conversations about racial healing, racial equity and justice. This day emphasizes the importance of “speak[ing] openly and hear[ing] the truth about past wrongs and the negative impacts created by individual and systemic racism” (1). Health Equity Initiative has been a proud participant since the Day’s inception in 2017.

 "Of all the forms of inequality, injustice in health is the most shocking and the most inhuman..." - Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., March 25, 1966
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Dr. King's powerful words still resonate in today's health equity movement across issues that contribute to health, racial and social inequities. Many scholars and professionals have rightly pointed that this quote "makes clear his moral concern beyond health care alone", given Dr. King's "unfailing attention to poverty, racism, education, and housing - what we now often call social determinants of health". (1)

Taking your prescriptions in the morning, talking to your doctor, caring for family members, and reading medical information online… Each of these situations has something in common: they involve health literacy. 

Many of the choices we make regarding our health are directly influenced by health literacy. And when thinking of our health equity goals, most, if not all, will involve health literacy in some way. Thus, health literacy is a critical topic, and conversations regarding improving health literacy should occur across multiple sectors to facilitate change. ​

Did you know that one in three women worldwide have been subjected to intimate partner violence and/or non-partner sexual violence in their lifetime? (1) Even though gender-based violence (GBV) affects people of all gender identities, women and non-conforming individuals are more likely to suffer from this kind of violence at some point during their lives. Additionally, Latina/o domestic or intimate partnerships reported higher rates of intimate partner violence (14%) than white couples (6%) with reoccurrence rates of 59% among Latina/o couples and 37% among white couples. Community Health Workers (CHW) programs, often in collaboration with legal assistance organizations, play a critical role in helping victims of gender-based violence overcome these difficult and challenging situations. 

​by Renata Schiavo on behalf of Health Equity Initiative

Health Equity Initiative is proud to observe the 8th National Day of Racial Healing, which was started in 2017 by W.K Kellogg Foundation (WKFF) and its community partners. The day is a "time to contemplate our shared values and create our blueprint together on #HowWeHeal from the effects and racism1."

Launched in 2017, the National Day of Racial Healing stemmed from WKFF Truth, Racial Healing and Transformation (THRT) Enterprise, an approach to racial equity co-designed in partnership with 144 organizations2.   HEI is honored to be one of these initial 144 organizations. 

See if you are eligible to participate in HEI’s upcoming Advocacy Training on August 15, 2023, from 5-7 pm EST!
With the generous support of Macy's Inc., Health Equity Initiative is holding an interactive training webinar for community leaders and CBOs to strengthen advocacy and policy communication skills and increase the reach of community-driven solutions in policy and institutional settings in support of health equity. As for all HEI’s activities, this training webinar will be highly interactive and participatory.  We look forward to hearing about your work and co-designing solutions to meet your advocacy goals.
Interested?

​Fill out this form if you and your organization would like to apply to participate in the August 15th training. 
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The Advocacy Training will be open to a maximum of 25 participants who apply to be considered. Please note that the call for applications is only open to organizations with a budget up to $2,500,000/year from both the U.S. and international settings, as we seek to help raise the influence of community leaders and community-based organizations on health equity issues. For more information on Health Equity Initiative, please visit  https://www.healthequityinitiative.org/

When discussing racial equity issues, it is well known that overt racism, like hate speech and hate crimes, directly negatively impacts the well-being of the racial diaspora that is targeted. However, what is often less discussed are the many implicit and insidious ways that continuous exposure to racism influence long-term negative outcomes. For example, Asian Americans are 60% less likely than non-Hispanic whites (1) to receive mental health treatment. Vietnamese Americans, Pacific Islanders, and Native Hawaiians are nearly three times less likely than white Americans (2) to reach out to mental health services when they need it. Southeast Asians are forced to independently pave their own way (3) to solving mental health issues due to their inability to find culturally informed healthcare providers. The barrier to accessing mental health care permeates into physical health as well. Moreover, the National Library of Medicine found that 57% of women from Cambodia (4) reported challenges in finding suitable medical care in the U.S. due to a lack of interpreters.