Confronting Structural Racism to Transform Health
A Future Where Health Is No Longer a Privilege, But a Right
For more than 50 years, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation has championed the core belief that everyone in America deserves a fair and just opportunity to thrive. That vision is not yet a reality. The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic coupled with the racial reckoning of 2020 made that clear.
Today, unfair laws and policies place more value on some lives than others, based on race and class and other factors. This limits opportunities for many of us in jobs, education, lending, housing, and unjust treatment in the legal system.
To tackle this, RWJF is taking steps to focus on one of the biggest barriers to health in America: structural racism.
President and CEO Richard Besser shares RWJF’s journey and the work that's already underway.
A Shared Vision
We have the power to transform the inequitable institutions, systems, and social practices that people intentionally created, and that still exist today. Together, we can build a future where everyone has a fair and just opportunity to achieve their fullest health and wellbeing.
How Does Structural Racism Affect Health?
We all want to live the healthiest life possible in the place we call home. And yet, some communities lack access to quality healthcare. Others live near polluted air and toxic waste instead of having well-funded schools and parks. These inequities, often based on race, hinder health and wellbeing and intensify all forms of discrimination.
Our Goals
Three Goals to Achieve Health for All
To transform health over the course of a generation, we have set three ambitious goals that we believe we can and must achieve, in collaboration with grantees, partners, and communities.
Economic Inclusion for Family Wellbeing
We believe a nation is possible where families have access to affordable, quality childcare and where no one must choose between paying for meals or paying their bills.
Equitable and Accountable Public Health and Healthcare Systems
We advocate for a healthcare system that provides respectful, high-quality care for everyone and a Public Health System that works together with communities to dismantle structural racism as a root cause of health disparities in America.
Healthy and Equitable Community Conditions
We envision flourishing communities where everyone has access to clean, safe drinking water and safe, stable housing; where jobs pay a living wage; where we have torn down the walls of segregation and all residents receive the respect and dignity they deserve.
The Systems We're Transforming
In pursuit of these goals, we will collaborate with others to identify and remove the root causes of structural racism across seven key systems that impact all our lives.
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Community Development
We’re working to ensure safe, affordable place to live, and easy access to healthy food, clean water, and good job opportunities.
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Economic Inclusion for Families
We envision U.S. tax and caregiving systems that support caregivers, so all families have the resources they need to raise thriving children.
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Government
We envision a more inclusive, effective, and multiracial democracy where everyone can participate in the political processes that impact health.
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Health Science Knowledge
We’re working to broaden how we collect, share, and use data, including cultural and community knowledge, to prioritize health equity.
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Healthcare
We’re working toward affordable and respectful healthcare, with a diverse workforce that values different cultures’ approaches to health.
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Media
We envision news, TV, movies and social media with more diversity, less bias, and more complete stories about health.
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Public Health
We envision a public health system that is trustworthy and accountable to communities, supported by funding, data and capacity to advance health equity.
Summary: Our Strategic Framework
This framework, designed in collaboration with our partners, guides how we work to support and amplify community-informed solutions.
Grantee Voices
Our grantees and community partners use their expertise to pave the way to health and wellbeing for all.
Ending structural racism to promote health equity
Tapping into the power of community
Changing the narrative to advance health equity
Taking steps toward racial healing in the United States