Investing in Southwest to Address Racism So Health Improves
Black individuals in the United States fare worse than White individuals across almost every social, economic, and health indicator. The fundamental cause of these striking and pervasive disparities is structural racism – the confluence of deep historical, institutional, cultural, and ideological forces that unequally distribute resources and risks across racialized groups. Highly segregated Black communities did not receive fair and equitable investments that caused dilapidated schools, rec centers, and housing that contributed to lower wages generation after generation. All of this ties to poor health.
Mostly when addressing racial health disparities the focus is on an individual basis. Deeply Rooted,a program of the Urban Health Lab, will test a radically different approach in which they intervene more broadly to improve health among Black Americans.
Specifically, the Deeply Rooted program will deliver a suite of environmental and economic focused interventions:
- Environmental: Vacant lot greening, abandoned house remediation, tree planting, trash cleanups.
- Economic: Connection to public benefits, tax-preparation, financial counseling, emergency cash grants.
Facility Director: Eugenia C. South, MD, MS
Partners: Pennsylvania Horticultural Society, Clarifi, Campaign for Working Families, Benefits Data Trust
Funder: National Institutes of Health
