BIPOC Health Equity Library
Black, Indigenous, and People of Color belong everywhere and deserve safety, well-being, and equitable opportunities to thrive. Despite decades of tireless advocacy, however, Black, Indigenous, and People of Color still experience disproportionately worse health outcomes, endure ongoing discrimination and hate, and are significantly more likely to experience violence than their white peers. These disparities are often further compounded by race-based and intergenerational trauma, Adverse Community Experiences, and a lack of access to appropriate primary and mental health care.
Black, Indigenous, and People of Color who are living in poverty, located in rural communities, LGBTQ+, disabled, and/or undocumented are most impacted, with risk factors including:
White transgender people are twice as likely to be unemployed due to discrimination, while transgender people of color are four times more likely
- Native American reservations have a lower health care provider to patient ratio than any other community in the United States
Higher prevalence of disabilities in communities of color (35% of Black people aged 44-65 and half of Black people over 65 have a documented disability) and in the LGBTQ+ community (more than one third of LGBTQ+ adults and 39% of transgender people identify as having a disability)
- Asian American immigrants, particularly those that are undocumented, are especially vulnerable to economic exploitation and predatory labor practices - one study showed an estimated 74% of South Asian restaurant workers in New York City made less than minimum wage in 2012
Worse health outcomes for disabled people of color: 55.2% of Hispanic and 46.6% of African American individuals with disabilities report fair or poor health, compared with 36.9 percent of white disabled individuals
- Black people and American Indian/Alaska Natives living in rural communities reported having multiple chronic health conditions at a higher rate than non-Hispanic whites living in rural communities
Lower socioeconomic statuses for disabled people of color
Fewer education and employment opportunities for disabled people of color, as well as greater difficulty securing appropriate accommodations and higher risks of discrimination in school and work settings
- People of color with low socioeconomic status experience high rates of avoidable procedures, avoidable hospitalizations, and untreated disease
Law enforcement-related violence and deaths of disabled people of color, especially Black disabled people
A New Focus on Community Commons
Health Equity Libraries on Community Commons build capacity for changemakers to advance equity for a specific priority population by sharing relevant resources. Priority populations are exploration avenues on Community Commons that represent diverse groups, communities, demographics, identities, statuses, and people with lived experiences. They connect users directly with populations of interest, lift up important underserved groups, and help root our work in equity and justice.
Importantly, we acknowledge that people are not defined solely by the population groups to which they belong—many factors contribute to what makes people who they are, and most people belong to more than one priority population group. These libraries are designed to break down silos and support changemakers working to advance equitable well-being by making people-centered content more discoverable on Community Commons.
Resources curated for Health Equity Libraries:
Share practical, actionable strategies to guide on-the-ground work
Provide access to data and scientific articles that build the case for equity and its relation to well-being
Lift up stories and lived experience from people in priority populations
The BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color) Health Equity Library highlights 300+ newly-curated resources and stories to advance equitable health outcomes for BIPOC.
As we have worked to expand and center Black, Indigenous, and People of Color content on Community Commons, some key themes have emerged:
Shifting dialogue from focusing on inclusion to focusing on health outcomes
Centering Indigenous knowledge and Black voices, and crediting BIPOC people for their work
Centering intersectional BIPOC perspectives, especially those who are BIPOC and LGBTQ+, disabled, economically poor, undocumented, and/or unhoused
Prioritizing actionable strategies for tangible change rooted in antiracism, decolonization, and equity
Disproportionate impacts of disabled people with multiple marginalizations, including histories of trauma
COVID-19 as a magnifier, emphasizing existing strengths and disparities
- Copyright
- 2022
- Published Date
- 09/27/2022
- Published By
- Community Commons
