Campaign Against Racism (CAR)
Dismantling structural racism and its global effects on health by supporting local actions, efforts, and networks.
EqualHealth’s global Campaign Against Racism (CAR) works to dismantle structural racism and its effects on health around the world by supporting local actions, efforts, and networks which aim to improve the health and lives of those most affected by racism, because racism kills.
CAR operates with a chapter model, with a network of 15 chapters across the globe as of 2023. Each chapter declares a strategic goal for their direct community and commits to be a part of the collective campaign. Most chapters are made up primarily of health professionals, not organizers. Chapters are supported by volunteer coaches who check in with chapters regularly, support goal identification and attainment, troubleshooting, and accountability to the larger network.
Chapters engage together sharing success stories and challenges, participating in community organizing training, and building relationships with organizers from around the world. Community organizers provide partnership and support to each chapter and collaborate to build collective consciousness around the movement for health equity. In its first year, 250 active members and 1,500 health professionals and allies engaged through various CAR actions.
Organizing Statement
Praxis & Power
History
EqualHealth’s Campaign Against Racism (CAR) is organized to uncover the historical connections between racism and capitalism to radically imagine a future in which sociocultural, political and economic systems work towards health equity, rather than against it. CAR employs tactics of formalized reflection on the role of racial capitalism in each chapter’s work and experience.
We center the voices of communities and acknowledge that racism manifests differently in various global contexts and intersections of systems of oppression. We have 15 chapters across 9 countries committing to local actions in building global solidarity.
Global-to-local focus: Reckoning with the commitment to the shared responsibilities of what it means to be a global community that centers health and healing.
Intersectionality: Recognizing the differences as strength; reckoning with the contexts are interrelated. Shifting power by building within.
Healing justice: Intentionally building networks of authentic relationships, healing, and safety to navigate new terrains and old messages.
Community building: Building power outside of the community and letting the Intersections inform the compass of where we are going.
Safety & security: Building practices and protocols to protect each other as we build, grow and learn. Making sure we're navigating the dangers together with consent and trust.
Language justice: Protecting and honoring the human right to communicate in the language we feel most comfortable in, without fear of discrimination or exclusion.
CAR was originally conceptualized by Dr. Camara Jones, a racial justice activist, physician, and past president of the American Public Health Association. Dr. Jones first presented the idea of a committee dedicated to global issues of racism when she was the keynote speaker at EqualHealth’s 2017 Social Medicine Consortium. CAR was further conceptualized in November 2017 at the American Public Health Association’s annual conference in Atlanta. EqualHealth officially launched the campaign in April 2018, with over 350 members from around the world, at the third annual Social Medicine Conference in Churchrock, New Mexico. Since then, CAR’s members have launched 23 chapters across 10 countries.
Our Chapters
There are currently five active CAR chapters across the globe: Brazil, Haiti, Liberia, Twin Cities, Uganda