FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 
Nov. 6, 2024 
Contact: Jack Cardinal, jcardinal@communitycatalyst.org, (781) 960-5208 


Now is not the time to go backwards. Together with our partners, we must remain firm against threats to our democratic principles and build power toward a shared vision of health justice rooted in race equity—where health is a right for all.
 

(Boston, MA) – The election results represent a grave threat to democracy and our collective values. This isn’t just about one individual but the dangerous ideology of President-elect Trump and Vice President-elect Vance outlined in Project 2025. For many that have for too long borne the brunt of racism, classism and oppression in our society—especially systemically excluded communities, including LGBTQ+ people, people with disabilities, women, immigrants, and Asian, Black, Indigenous, Latinx, and Pacific Islander communities, and communities with low-incomes—these threats are not hypothetical but a daily reality driven by entrenched interests’ intent on maintaining the status quo. Extremist politicians and powerful, profit-driven entities aim to take us backward. While we cannot match the corporate dollars behind these efforts, we can out-organize them by mobilizing the power that already exists within our communities to fight back against oppression and deepening our commitment to our fundamental beliefs in freedom and health as a right for all.

Joint statement from Community Catalyst interim co-presidents and CEOs Dana Clarke and Dr. Brandon G. Wilson:

“At Community Catalyst, we remain unwavering in our commitment to defending the progress made in advancing race equity and health justice. Together with our partners, we will harness the power within our communities to unite towards a future where health is a right for all. This is not a sprint, but a marathon, and it requires a broader movement to fight against harm while setting the stage for future progress.

“The election results underscore a broader threat to democracy, empowering extremist politicians determined to take us backward. For far too many people in America, particularly communities of color and families with low-incomes, this reality has long existed, as highlighted in Project 2025. These threats reinforce a system that prioritizes profit over people’s health and economic well-being, deepening the harm already done by racism, classism, gender inequity, and other forms of oppression. The previous Trump administration, the Trump-Vance campaign and extremist politicians who followed have only accelerated these inequities, denying quality health care to those who need it most. These threats to our fundamental freedoms harm all of us.

“Our vision is clear: health is a right, and we will continue to fight to dismantle the predatory practices that force people to choose between care and debt. This means doubling down on our policy, advocacy, narrative change and powerbuilding efforts, in partnership with a growing movement of multi-issue organizations across the country, to create a future where health justice is the norm—not the exception—and where policymakers and health systems are held accountable to the people they serve.

“At the heart of this vision are the voices, aspirations, and ideas of those most harmed by today’s health system. Their experiences and leadership will shape the solutions of tomorrow as we continue to work toward a future where individual and public health are prioritized and understood as necessary for a healthy democracy and where justice, equity, and accountability are central to that health system’s foundation.”

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About Community Catalyst: 

Community Catalyst is a national organization dedicated to building the power of people to create a health system rooted in race equity and health justice, and a society where health is a right for all. We’re an experienced, trusted partner to organizations across the country, a change agent to policymakers at the local, state, and national level, and both an adversary and a collaborator to health systems in our efforts to advance health justice. We partner with local, state and national organizations and leaders to leverage and build power so that people are at the center of important decisions about health and health care, whether they are made by health care executives, in state houses, or on Capitol Hill. Together with partners, we’re building a powerful, united movement with a shared vision of and strategy for a health system accountable to all people. Learn more at communitycatalyst.org.