Tracing The Roots of Difference: A Blog Series
“We are not makers of history. We are made by history.”
In addressing questions about equity, analysts often present results that differ significantly by race or gender or sexual orientation. But however dramatic the differences – even for life-and-death indicators like life expectancy and infant mortality – they rarely explore the contexts in which disparities occur.
The contexts, of course, are broad; and they differ, at least somewhat, for every group. Events that occurred decades or even centuries ago (such as the horrors of slavery – experienced by both African American and Native American populations – or the forcible removal of Indigenous children from their families for assimilation to white European culture) can be crucially relevant to health, wealth, and overall wellbeing among people today. Just as the effects of traumatic experiences can pass from generation to generation, the effects of historically racist policies (unfair lending and hiring practices, restrictive real estate covenants, unequal access to GI Bill benefits, unequal access to quality education) have impaired the ability of multiple generations to acquire wealth and build a buffer against hard times.
This is the first in a series of EQUITY BLOGS that looks at the root causes – historical and contemporary – of longstanding disparities in the health and wellbeing of King County residents. The blogs will investigate the notion, supported by many public health leaders, that “health is a function of social inequality.” They will also describe biological mechanisms that have been proposed to mediate the close relationship between social inequality and health outcomes.
Over the next few months, blogs will explore the following topics:
Discrimination: An equal opportunity experience? Results of the national Discrimination in America survey.
The dark side of discovery & Frederick Douglass’s 4th of July. The roots of today’s inequities run deeply through America’s history and beyond.
Disparities tool debuts on Communities Count. Introduction to an interactive tool that highlights disparities – and patterns of disparities – across a range of indicators.
Indigenous peoples defy invisibility: American Indian and Alaska Native communities have at the forefront of the movement to acknowledge, track, and ultimately reduce disproportionately high rates of sexual violence,
The almighty credit score: How it tracks the past, predicts the future, and maintains existing hierarchies
Naming the Harms: The 4 kinds of harm – emotional harm, socioeconomic harm, negative expectations, and persistent health disparities are so tightly entwined that they reinforce one another, making it difficult to separate their effects in daily life.
Historical trauma: What is it? Why is it important now? The lasting effects of major, sanctioned oppressions that deny or ignore a group’s humanity.
Intersectionality in action. Effects of trauma can be compounded by intersecting identities. Illustrated with recent data from King County communities.
Housing policies and practices in King County. How past and present housing policies influence opportunities for residents of King County.
Unequal education. A look at differences in educational opportunity and the differential benefits of education.
Unequal justice under the law. How do we explain growing disparities in our justice system? What are we doing about it?
Where is environmental justice? Introducing a mapping tool to see where demography intersects with pollution and how that relates to health in King County.
The R word: Racism. What does it mean? Why are we so hesitant to use it? A look at changing norms and attitudes.
The high cost of “making it.” The stresses of having to be 10 times as good to succeed, often in a hostile environment, are reflected in a host of health outcomes.
Birth outcome disparities, part II. Biological explanations of persistent disparities in infant and maternal mortality. “We carry our histories in our bodies. How would we not?” (Nancy Krieger)
Equity sources. An organized, evolving list of curated sources – national and regional – related to the above blog topics will be available on the blog.
In addition to helping us understand disparities in local data, blogs in the series are meant to show how tightly our history weaves itself into our lives and our children’s futures. In looking at trauma, we acknowledge the rich variability of responses within and across groups and generations, from strength and resilience to ongoing harm embedded in policy and culture. Our goal is not to exacerbate existing divisions, but to reaffirm the shared values, identified by King County residents, that guide the work of Communities Count. Whenever possible, the blogs focus on the lives of King County residents, calling out local heroes as well as promising regional programs and practices.
Links
Data sources about King County communities include …
Communities Count offers interactive charts and maps on indicators across the following topics: education, family & community support, food, health, housing & transportation, income, population, and public safety.
Community Health Indicators: For 168 health and determinants-of-health indicators offers interactive charts and maps showing trends and demographics; data for King County regions, cities, and some neighborhoods.
City Health Profiles provides demographic and health data for 26 cities / geographic areas in King County.