PHILADELPHIA (January 16, 2025) – A new Health Affairs Health Policy Brief highlights the detrimental impact of recent state and federal policies that restrict discussions of "divisive concepts," including structural racism. It warns that these policies undermine efforts to address health inequities and improve population health.
"By limiting discussions of structural racism, these policies ignore the historical and environmental factors that shape health outcomes," said co-author Derek Griffith, PhD , the Risa Lavizzo-Mourey Population Health and Health Equity University Professor in Penn Nursing 's Department of Family and Community Health ; Professor in the Department of Medical Ethics and Health Policy in the Perelman School of Medicine ; and a Fellow and Senior Advisor on Health Equity and Anti-Racism in The Leonard Davis Institute of Health Economics . "This approach is not only scientifically unsound, but it also hinders our ability to develop effective strategies to promote population health and health equity."
The article, was co-authored by Andrew Twinamatsiko – director of the Center for Health Policy and the Law in the Georgetown University O'Neill Institute for National and Global Health Law – examines the impact of policies that seek to prevent discussions of structural racism in educational and health policy contexts. These policies, often rooted in a narrow and individualistic definition of racism, ignore the systemic and institutional factors that perpetuate health inequities. It emphasizes the importance of addressing structural racism as a critical component of achieving health equity. The authors call on policymakers to:
- Educate themselves on the facts about structural racism and its implications for health.
- Support community-based initiatives that promote population health and health equity.
- Propose laws and policies that encourage discussions of "divisive concepts" and highlight their benefits.
- Organize across sectors and political party lines to advance health equity.
"By embracing a more nuanced understanding of racism and its impact on health, we can work towards creating a more equitable future for all," said Griffith.
