What to know
In April of 2021, CDC declared racism a serious public health threat that directly affects the well-being of millions of Americans and, as a result, affects the health of our entire nation. CDC has long recognized that racism is the root cause of many health disparities.
Racism is a Public Health Threat
Racism is a system—consisting of structures, policies, practices, and norms—that assigns value and determines opportunity based on the way people look or the color of their skin. This results in conditions that unfairly advantage some and disadvantage others throughout society.
Racism—both interpersonal and structural—negatively affects the mental and physical health of millions of people, preventing them from attaining their highest level of health, and consequently, affecting the health of our nation.
Across the country, racial and ethnic minority populations experience higher rates of poor health and disease in a range of health conditions, including diabetes, hypertension, obesity, asthma, and heart disease, when compared to their White counterparts. The life expectancy among Black/African Americans is four years lower than that of White Americans.
This video sheds light on the growing body of research that shows that centuries of racism in the United States has had a profound and negative impact on communities of color and prevented some people who are members of racial and ethnic minority groups from achieving optimal health.
CDC Commitment to Addressing Health Disparities
CDC has long recognized that racism is the root cause of many health disparities. The 2021 declaration announced CDC's rededication to the work of addressing the challenges driven by structural factors (e.g., racism, discrimination, and historical disenfranchisement) that overwhelmingly impact so many of the communities in which we live.
As part of that commitment, CDC developed the CORE Health Equity Strategy resolving to create comprehensive health equity science, optimize interventions, reinforce existing partnerships and create new ones, and enhance our workforce engagement. CDC continues its agency-wide strategic process to make sure health equity, and the elimination of health inequities, are central to the work we do and that every center, every division, and every program are advancing these efforts.
This work continues to holistically transform the way we approach public health – within the agency, across the nation, and around the world. Each part of the agency is deeply committed to working toward more than 150 health equity science and intervention goals related to studying the drivers and impacts of social determinants on health outcomes, expanding the body of evidence of what interventions will reduce the inequities that affect health, and inviting partners from multiple sectors who can collaborate to implement solutions.