Understanding Health Disparities with New Health Equity Timeline

The health inequities experienced today in King County stem from a history of policies and events that have impacted communities’ social and economic determinants of health, such as education, housing, employment, and healthcare access. These determinants of health have significant influence over health outcomes, oftentimes contributing to health disparities that are experienced by systemically disadvantaged communities. Understanding the historical contexts in which health disparities and related social determinants of health exist are necessary to create solutions to benefit our local communities. 

The new Communities Count Health Equity Timeline aims to make information on the root causes of local health inequities accessible to all, allowing users to dive deeper into historical contexts that shape health equity in our region today. The timeline features a visual representation of about 80 significant policies and events throughout the history of King County that speak to both the marginalization and resilience of Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) and other under-resourced communities. Events described on the timeline span the pre-colonial era to present day, including discriminatory policies, establishment of community organizations, protests, significant elections, acts of community resistance and resilience, and more. These events are framed through social determinants of health to draw connections between these histories and current health inequities. 

An example of an event on the Health Equity Timeline, which describes protests for Indigenous fishing rights in 1964. 

The content of the Health Equity Timeline is guided by input of community members from SeaMar Community Health Centers, the Wing Luke Museum, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the UW Center for the Study of the Pacific Northwest. As key informants, the perspectives and feedback from these stakeholders have been invaluable in the development of this project. 

While it is far from a comprehensive review of all the experiences of BIPOC communities, the Health Equity Timeline highlights significant moments in history that speak to the roles of systems and communities in shaping the landscape of health equity in King County. Communities Count has envisioned this timeline as an opportunity to further conversations around the strength and resilience embodied by King County communities throughout history despite systemic exclusion, and we hope that communities are able to utilize the information in the timeline as important context in working towards equity.