Policy Brief

Structural forms of racism –  the durable production of racial inequality tied to unremedied historical harms as well as structures and systems that maintain and reproduce inequality, such as separate and inequitable housing, school, law enforcement, and criminal justice systems – harm the health of people of African descent and others with marginalized racial identities through multiple mechanisms, principally through the denial of opportunity and human rights. The Urban Institute conducts several research and policy analysis projects to identify and mitigate structural racism’s impacts on health; two of those projects are discussed in this brief. The first project, “Unequal Treatment at Twenty,” explores the challenges and opportunities to advance equity in U.S. healthcare systems, against the backdrop of the twentieth anniversary of the National Academies publication Unequal Treatment. The second project, the “Lancet Commission on Antiracism in Solidarity: From Decolonization to Reconstruction of Our Health Systems,” seeks to develop a comprehensive research, advocacy, and policy agenda for structural interventions that advance equity and decolonize U.S. health and public systems. Urban will convene a Commission of experts in health equity, racism, and decolonizing health to develop an anti-racist healthcare and public health framework to understand how racism and White supremacy damages the health and well-being of Black people, and consequently weakens the entire U.S. society.  The aim is to interrogate and challenge White supremacy and galvanize research and advocacy for positive and sustainable change.  In conclusion, we believe such research has great potential to raise awareness of structural racism and build political will to dismantle it.