The August Edition of the HES Monthly Newsletter ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌
 

August | 2020

 
 
 

Behavioral antiracism as defined by  Ibram X. Kendi in How to be an Antiracist, maintains that individual behavior is exactly that—individual, and not representative  of an entire racial group. This requires  distinguishing between behavior and culture, which is based on collective traditions that can be shared among a racial group, but is not necessarily reflective of everyone in an entire race.  

Dismantling the myth that race is responsible for individual behaviors or vice versa is critical to advancing health equity because it has often been used to distract from or support racist policies. For example, attributing the differential health outcomes of people of color to poor personal choices such as eating unhealthy food, fails to take into account the legacy of racist housing practices and socioeconomic disinvestment in communities of color that have resulted in food deserts and that have disproportionately narrowed affordable food options for certain communities.“Deracializ[ing] behavior” means acknowledging that behavior is individual because as Kendi says: “Behavior is something humans do, not races do."

 
 
 
 

(LOB= Legislative Office Building)

While it is possible that a second special session could be called before the regular legislative session begins in January 2021, this remains uncertain for now.

 
 
 
 
  • As of this week, 15 Connecticut cities and towns have declared racism a public health crisis. Information about these locally led efforts to embed anti-racism in policy is available on our website.
     
  • HES is gearing up for the 2021 legislative session by gathering your thoughts. Join one of our 2020 Listening Sessions! These sessions will inform our 2021 legislative agenda.
 
 
 

Health Equity Solutions continues our work to center equity in pandemic response and recovery efforts. Part of this work is making sure that a diverse array of voices reach policymakers. Please take our survey or take it again if you have new thoughts to share: English, Spanish, Haitian Creole.
 

Interested in the results? Summary results are regularly updated here.

 
 

For August, the HES team continued the reading and discussion of How to Be an Antiracist by Ibram X. Kendi 

The September book will be Talking to Strangers by Malcolm Gladwell.

 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Health Equity Solutions
175 Main Street 3rd Floor | Hartford, Connecticut 06106
860.461.7637 | info@hesct.org

Follow Us

Having trouble viewing this email? View it in your web browser

Unsubscribe