The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation describes the Transforming Academia for Equity initiative as “a bold opportunity for academic institutions to identify, challenge, and move beyond the shadow of the historical roots of structural racism and exclusion.”
Taking part in the initiative provided us with time to explore how structural racism and systemic oppression are embedded in our policies, processes, and practices and inspired us to consider ways to disrupt, dismantle, and inclusively build a more equitable system.
As such, our action plan centers on an anti-racism and anti-oppression approach to elevate justice and equity in the College of Health.
The intentional centering of anti-racism—that is the practice of opposing racism and promoting racial equity—is rooted in both current and historical conditions that define the context of our college, the university, the State of Oregon, and our nation more widely.
To help support the intentional centering of anti-racism, we have developed this resource guide to provide College of Health professionals with a roadmap to implement equitable and inclusive strategies within our institution and communities. (author introduction)