Reaffirming our commitment to expose and dismantle structural racism in our society

BOSTON – “The events from this past weekend in Charlottesville, Virginia, and subsequent demonstrations around the country have once again exposed the darkness woven into our nation’s long history of racial and social injustice.

“Alongside our local, state and federal partners, we at Community Catalyst advocate for the rights of everyone to live in a society that treats and cares for people equally. We have made great progress in breaking down some of the barriers that marginalized populations face and will not stand silent as white supremacists and their sympathizers, encouraged by an Administration’s policies that promote bigotry, seek to intimidate and unravel the progress made in exposing and dismantling the structural racism that exists in our society.

“As a health care advocacy organization who makes health equity a core component of our work, we know that racism is a cancer. It eats away at the health and well-being of the millions of people of color that live in small towns, suburbs and urban centers in every corner of our great land. Institutionalized racism and discrimination have relegated many people of color to unhealthy environments, in their lives and in their communities, while simultaneously providing poorer access to quality care. While the terrible events in Charlottesville weigh heavy on our hearts, it provides us an opportunity to do more than pause and reflect.

“We must move beyond words and take action. Attend or host a vigil in your community. Partner with a racial justice or economic justice organization locally. Support diverse coalitions tackling institutional or structural racism. Organize. Only in partnership with one another can we rise up and strive to create the future that we – the majority – want for our nation.”

About Community Catalyst
Community Catalyst is a national, non-profit consumer advocacy organization founded in 1998 with the belief that affordable quality health care should be accessible to everyone. We work in partnership with national, state and local organizations, policymakers, and philanthropic foundations to ensure consumer interests are represented wherever important decisions about health and the health system are made: in communities, courtrooms, statehouses and on Capitol Hill. For more information, visit www.communitycatalyst.org. Read our blog at http://blog.communitycatalyst.org. Follow us on Twitter @healthpolicyhub.