Race and Equity

Navajo comedian, motivational speaker and advocate Pax Harvey is among advocates addressing health and wellness in tribal communities at a grassroots level.

The neighborhood a child grows up in may be the biggest contributor to teen pregnancy rates. And one way to reduce the number of teen pregnancies is to provide structure, like after-school activities, to teens in needy neighborhoods.

Through a fellowship with the USC Annenberg-Center for Health Journalism, we travel to LA and look at a program, which is helping ensure babies and parents are safe, healthy, and at the same time connecting them to other Native Americans in the big city.

While scores of public agencies are working to develop resources and programs to address childhood trauma and toxic stress in their communities, San Joaquin County in California has been turning itself into a model for how to address the issue.

A recently-published Stanford University study found that race influences the quality of care premature babies receive. Though, the lead researcher was clear that the study was not about uncovering racial bias.

This article and others forthcoming on this topic are being produced as part of a project for the University of Southern California Center for Health Journalism’s National Fellowship, in conjunction with the USC Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism.

Program participants at a drum and dance class speak about what wellness means to them and how culture is part of their efforts to decrease stress, engage in their community and maintain sobriety.

Protesters carrying swastikas and shouting words of hate are disturbing. But the construction of a community that puts people at increased risk for poorer health and a shorter life expectancy is equally troubling and must be addressed.

Instead of strictly asking about medical providers, Dr. David Carlisle, an expert on health disparities, urges reporters to examine the availability and diversity of dentists, psychologists, pharmacists and optometrists in their community.

Buffalo News reporter Tiffany Lankes shows how data can create a story framework that comes alive with personal experiences to help readers understand the importance of addressing violence.