On Tuesday, June 23, CityMatCH hosted “Action Against Racism,” a webinar facilitated by a panel of representatives from community-led health organizations to discuss systemic oppression within institutions.
CityMatCH promotes racial equity by working with multiple organizations to improve the health of women and children in urban communities. The ‘Black Lives Matter’ movement has inspired more people to show their solidarity with the Black community, sparking the idea to host a discussion on what becoming an ally really looks like.
One of the featured panelists for the webinar was deputy director of Generate Health, Rose Anderson-Rice. Generate Health, FLOURISH’s backbone organization, has a commitment to racial equity and is part of Forward Through Ferguson’s Racial Equity Roundtable, a leadership development program that focuses on leveraging anti-bias, antiracist and systems change strategies within institutions.
“We recognize that as well-meaning as we are, we are all upholding white supremacy in some way, and so we want to dismantle that system internally within our organizations,” said Anderson-Rice.
The panelists kicked off the discussion by sharing their personal stories of instances where they have experienced and observed racism. Topics discussed included becoming aware of unconscious thinking and behavior, creating an inclusive, safe environment, and guidance on using white privilege to be an ally to Black and Brown people.
Want to learn more about dismantling systemic racism? Watch the Action Against Racism webinar or explore additional anti-racism resources.
