The Power to Make Change
UWPHI envisions a world in which we value each other, honor our connectedness, and build communities where everyone can thrive.
Racism fundamentally shapes our economic, social, and physical environments. Sweeping change is needed. We must learn the truth about our history, so that we don’t continue recreating injustice. And we must take actions toward healing.
We believe that we have the power to make change and hold one another accountable. We all live in a world poisoned by systems of oppression, and we all must do the hard work to create fair and just conditions for everyone to reach their full potential.
UWPHI continues to challenge ourselves to address the root causes of poor health by questioning systems, policies, and practices that create and maintain stark imbalances in power and racial inequities.
Sign-on to the Racism is a Public Health Crisis in Wisconsin Declaration
Learn more about racism, power and health
WHAT YOU CAN DO
Whether you are just getting started, or have been at this for a while, we invite you to join us in doing the work that is required to shape a racially just society.
- Sign the Racism is a Public Health Crisis in Wisconsin Declaration
- Commit to action to address racism as a public health crisis
Join statewide partners in committing to actions individuals and organizations can take.
- Sign on to the Racism as a Public Health Crisis in Wisconsin Declaration
- See a list of organizational signers and what actions they have committed to undertaking
- Consider your organization: what actions have you committed to?
As an individual, in order to address racism as a public health crisis, I will:
- Engage in ongoing individual self-assessment, reflection, and acknowledgement regarding the role I play and the role I can play.
- Share this information with my friends and colleagues.
- Examine my networks and identify with whom I can work to create change with direct actions.
- Seek out additional training to build an individual growth and learning plan.
- Take the declaration to my organization.
- Commit to self-work and self-care.
As an organization or coalition, in order to address racism as a public health crisis, we will:
- Publicly assert that racism is a public health crisis affecting our entire society.
- Check out what your organization has committed to on the Organizational Signers and Actions List
- Conduct an assessment of internal policy and procedures to ensure racial equity is a core element of our work.
- Work to create an equity and justice oriented organization, with staff, and/or other stakeholders identifying specific activities to increase diversity and to incorporate anti-racism principles within leadership, staffing, and contracting.
- Incorporate educational efforts to address and dismantle racism, expand understanding of racism, and how racism affects individual and population health.
- Provide tools to engage actively and authentically with communities of color. Advocate for relevant policies that improve health in communities of color, and support local, state, and federal initiatives that advance social justice, while also encouraging individual advocacy to dismantle systematic racism.
- Work to build alliances and partnerships with other appropriate organizations that are confronting racism and encourage partners and/or stakeholders to recognize racism as a public health crisis.
- Allocate adequate financial and human resources to accomplish all selected activities