Boston Public Health Commission reposted this
Over the weekend Boston Globe Media published an op-ed that I wrote that highlights the fact that the drug overdose mortality among Black individuals in Boston has increased 125 percent in the last 5 years, the largest increase among any racial or ethnic group citywide. In the op-ed I identified an overt inequity, attempted to explain the nuanced reasons why this inequity exists, and called for actions to address the inequity. In the comments (which I probably should not have read), I was repeatedly informed that overdoses impact all people, not just those who identify as Black. This is obvious, and I could have written this op-ed in race-neutral way, void of any reference to racism. The problem with that approach is that it doesn't work. Never has and never will. The only way to address inequity is to disaggregate groups of people, identify differences, understand root causes and work with communities to develop solutions that reflect their lived experiences. This process should be important to all of us because inequity comes at a significant cost to all of us. Thanks Boston Globe and Marjorie Pritchard (op-ed editor) for publishing this piece. Boston Public Health Commission #advancinghealthequity https://lnkd.in/g8pq-pPe