CDC director declares racism ‘serious public health threat'

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Rochelle Walensky M.D., yesterday declared racism “a serious public health threat,” and said the agency would accelerate its work to address racism as a fundamental driver of racial and ethnic health inequities in the United States.

A new CDC website on racism and health will serve as a hub for the agency’s efforts. 

“Racism is not just the discrimination against one group based on the color of their skin or their race or ethnicity, but the structural barriers that impact racial and ethnic groups differently to influence where a person lives, where they work, where their children play, and where they worship and gather in community,” she said. “These social determinants of health have life-long negative effects on the mental and physical health of individuals in communities of color.”