A panel discussion hosted by The University of North Texas Health Science Center at Fort Worth School of Public Health will take on the origins of health disparities among the Black population in the U.S.
“Elevating Power and Black Excellence,” which will feature five panelists who live and work on the frontlines of Black health disparities, is scheduled for 8:30 a.m. Feb. 20 on the seventh floor of HSC’s Carl E. Everett Education & Administration building.
The event is open to the public at no charge. To register, visit the ‘Elevating Power and Black Excellence’ Eventbrite page.
Breakfast will be served at 8:30 a.m., and the discussion will start at 9:30 a.m. This discussion is one of many taking place on campus during Black History Month.
“As a community-centric School of Public Health, we benefit greatly from engaging experts from the community as co-educators,” said Shafik Dharamsi, dean of SPH, in a statement. “Our panelists will provide an important insight into the root causes of health disparities.
“Health professionals need to be aware that poor health outcomes are deeply connected to the ways in which various systems and societal arrangements are established and maintained. Realizing that structural inequalities and implicit bias exist is only the first step. We must also take responsibility by working to change the systems that perpetuate avoidable differences in health outcomes between different groups of people.”
The panel will be moderated by entrepreneur Simeon Henderson.
Joining him on the panel will be Quinton “Q” Phillips, vice president of the Fort Worth school board and co-founder of the social justice nonprofit CommUnity Frontline; Brandi Waller-Pace, founder and executive director of both music education nonprofit Decolonizing the Music Room and the Fort Worth African American Roots Music Festival; Kenny Mosely, Renaissance Heights Foundation’s executive director; and Misty Wilder, director of HSC’s Healthy Start, a program created by the HSC Texas College of Osteopathic Medicine that provides home visits to improve the health of women and families.
The timing of this discussion is urgent. Research shows Black Americans receive less and lower-quality care for cancer, heart problems, pneumonia, pain management, prenatal and maternal health and preventive health. During the pandemic, this racial longevity gap seemed to grow again after narrowing in recent years.
“I’m looking forward to this important discussion,” Phillips said. “Unfortunately, pervasive patterns of inequities exist across health conditions for Black Americans and there is a history of poor access to quality health care in our communities. We’re ready for solutions. We want this conversation to be more than merely gathering data points. These types of discussions are vital, and we hope to serve as a catalyst to ending health disparities across the board.”