About the National Dialogue

On April 8, 2021, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced that racism is a national public health crisis in the United States and issued a call to action to address racism’s impact on health outcomes for all Americans. More than 200 cities and counties, health departments, and elected officials across the United States have proclaimed that “racism is a public health crisis.” This movement to address racism as a public health crisis is closely aligned with the objectives of the Fast-Track Cities initiative, which seeks to support urban leadership in many of the same cities and counties towards the aim of ending their urban HIV epidemics by 2030.

The Goals for a National Dialogue

A National Dialogue was kicked off on February 9, 2022, during a two-hour discussion hosted by IAPAC in partnership with Howard Brown Health in Chicago. Benefiting from local, state, and national insights, the discussion laid out the framework for a yearlong dialogue that will delve into health equity challenges in relation to race that serve as a barrier for ending urban HIV epidemics. Each dialogue will feature potential solutions to support Fast-Track Cities in tackling racism and the other social determinants of health that limit health equity in communities of color.

IAPAC coordinated 12 city-specific online dialogue sessions, each in a US Fast-Track City: Atlanta, Baltimore, Birmingham, Boston, Charleston, Chicago, Dallas, Denver, Durham, New Orleans, and Phoenix, as well as the District of Columbia. The city-specific sessions facilitated dialogue between city, county, state, and national policy makers, as well as city and county health department officials, clinicians and service providers, and community advocates.

The dialogue included discussion about how racism is negatively affecting health equity and outcomes for communities of color, but also featured interventions employed by cities and counties to address racism and its effects on health equity and outcomes. The dialogue will conclude with a report in 2024 featuring best practices on addressing racism as a public health crisis in urban settings.

January 26, 2023 - Charleston

This online national dialogue session will take place from 11:00 am to 3:00 pm EST, Thursday, January 26, 2023 via Zoom Webinar in partnership with SHAPE TriCounty.

Below is the dialogue program listing confirmed speakers. Registration is free but required to participate. CLICK HERE to register.

Opening Remarks

11:00 AM – 11:10 AM CST

 José M. Zuniga, President/CEO, IAPAC and FTCI, Washington, DC
Setting the Stage: Health Equity Challenges in Charleston’s HIV Responses 

11:10AM - 12:00PM EST

 Tawana Philpott Brown, Program Director, Ryan White Wellness Center, Roper St. Francis Healthcare

Michael Luciano, Linkage-to-Care Navigator/Peer Services Coordinator, Palmetto Community Care

Zakevia Lewis-Kendrick, Licensed Clinical Social Worker, Medical Case Management Supervisor – Medical University of SC
ChuckTown intersectionality: Infrastructure, Segregation, and Food Access

12:05PM - 12:55PM EST

 Laurie Tomlin, Clinical Therapist, Ryan White Wellness Center, Roper St. Francis Healthcare

Geona Shaw Johnson, Director of Department of Housing & Community Development, City of Charleston

Renee Linyard-Gary, Director of Diversity, Inclusion & Health Equity, Roper St. Francis Healthcare
Nekia E. Robinson, STD/HIV Health Educator II, Tri-County SHAPE, SC Department of Health & Environmental Control
Break

1:00PM - 1:10PM EST

 Break
Community Action: Organizing and Campaigning for Racial and Health Equity

1:10PM- 2:00PM EST

 Regina Duggins, Founder/President, Charleston Black Pride

Richard Reams, Director of Development & Marketing, Palmetto Community Care

Michael D. Moxley, VP and Chief Officer for Diversity, Inclusion, and Health Equity, Roper St. Francis Healthcare
Closing Remarks

2:50PM- 3:00PM EST

 José M. Zuniga, President/CEO, IAPAC and FTCI, Washington, DC

 

For more information, please contact Rae White, rwhite@iapac.org.

The National Dialogue on the Intersection of Racism and HIV as a Public Health Crisis is made possible through grant support from Gilead Sciences, Merck & Co., and ViiV Healthcare.

For more information about the National Dialogue and/or to partner with IAPAC within your respective cities, please contact Sindhu Ravishankar at sravishankar@iapac.org.

The National Dialogue on the Intersection of Racism and HIV as a Public Health Crisis is made possible through grant support from Gilead Sciences, Janssen Therapeutics, Merck & Co., and ViiV Healthcare.