University Forum Addresses Health Disparities facing Black Californians
In a special event to celebrate Black History Month, CDU hosted a special in-person University Forum that featured a distinguished panel of thought leaders who shared insights and strategies to address the health disparities facing Black Californians.
The event was held in the W. Montague Cobb Medical Education Lobby on campus and was also live streamed via the University’s YouTube channel.
Guest panelists included Shakari Byerly, Partner and Principal Researcher of EVITARUS; Rhonda Smith, Executive Director of California Black Health Network; and Katherine Haynes, Senior Program Officer, People-Centered Care of California Health Care Foundation. The forum was moderated by Dr. David M. Carlisle, President and CEO of CDU.
“The well-being of our communities is not just a matter of public health; it is a cornerstone of justice, equality, and prosperity,” said Dr. Carlisle. “Yet, despite progress in various sectors, health disparities continue to affect Black Californians disproportionately. These disparities are not just statistics; they are real issues affecting real people… these people are our neighbors, our friends, our families.”
Katherine Haynes addressed the impact of anti-Black racism and testified to the importance of focusing on Black Californians, highlighting statistics demonstrating the higher death rate of Black Californians in comparison to Californians overall, the shorter life span of Black Californians, and more.
“Structural anti-black racism is encoded in our healthcare system; it was encoded from the inception with research conducted on enslaved people with racist assumptions and done without their permission,” explained Haynes. “Black Californians experience higher morbidity and mortality across conditions, the state of California is at the vanguard of many, many things… The state can be a beacon for the nation in addressing these inequities and we know that COVID-19 heightened attention paid to Black and also Latinx health equity given the pattern of the pandemic.”
Shakari Byerly pointed out how Black Californians are leading the charge for health equity and institutions are lagging behind. EVITARUS conducted the Listening to Black Californians statewide survey, which is one of the largest-scale surveys to date focused on the health care experiences of Black Californians.
The survey gathered their perspectives of health, experiences with the health care system, and attitudes toward the broader social context in the state. The results revealed that Black Californians are highly intentional in their pursuit of physical and mental health.
Rhonda Smith shared information about the California Black Health Network’s Health 4 Life: “How Do I…” Campaign which launched this February.
“We’re going to be providing the basic fundamental information along with a host of other things that people really need to know,” said Smith. “We want to ignite a Black health movement here in California and this is one of the many things we’re working on in order to make that happen.”