While there is no handbook to immediately redress the 400 years of oppression influencing the health of our communities as a whole and communities of color specifically, this [collaborative] model provides an avenue for public health advocacy for health departments of any size to change systems to protect the health and improve the lives of all of its residents.
Reflecting on one’s own identity, catching one’s own implicit biases, and advocating for social justice in small and large ways is the work of a lifetime. These must be ongoing practices and won’t be fulfilled by completing any particular training. Yet, cultivating strategic skills that empower people and agencies to partner across sectors and engage in policy, systems, and environmental change is an important place to start.