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Following is a blog by Rafael E. Pérez-Figueroa, assistant professor in the Department of Health, Behavior and Society in the College of Public Health, and Kathryn M. Cardarelli, associate professor in the Department of Health, Behavior and Society and senior assistant provost for faculty affairs and professional development at the University of Kentucky.
Racism has long defined health and well-being in our state and the country. Currently, the intersection of the COVID-19 pandemic and law enforcement violence has exacerbated a complex ecosystem framing health inequities nationally. By March 2020, following the killing of Breonna Taylor, issues of structural racism and health inequities were at the forefront of our public consciousness. In response to the local and national reckoning associated with Taylor’s and others’ deaths, we organized a yearlong program of events at the University of Kentucky College of Public Health with the goal of promoting an anti-racist environment in our academic community. All of the events in this program were recorded and are available here.