PHEAL Principle #3

HEALING THROUGH LEADERSHIP 

Actively and intentionally do the hard work to transform institutional beliefs, structures, policies, and practices to ensure long-lasting, positive impacts.

Advance Racial Justice

  • Reflect. Identify, reflect, examine, and evaluate the extent to which our institutions and organizations are internally and externally grounded in structures that perpetuate an oppressive system of inequities and inequalities that suffocate the life and joy of historically overburdened communities with health inequities.

  • Reconcile. Acknowledge, reflect on, and communicate the impact of racial inequities so that our institutions and organizations march toward healing and reconciliation.  A willingness to consider local information, perspectives, and stories without passing judgement is required.

  • Envision. Reimagine our institutions and organizations to collaboratively work to eliminate discrimination, racism, bigotry, and microaggressions—especially anti-Blackness policies and procedures—and promote anti-racism policies and practices. 

  • Act. Challenge and transform pervasive institutional structures, siloed decision-making, funding practices, and relationships that have perpetuated racist systems, and reward collaborative efforts that promote the fair and just treatment of all people.

Strengthen Diversity and Inclusion

  • Diversify and Support. Recognize the intrinsic role that intersectionality and privilege play into exclusive practices and notions of diversity. Support and elevate the roles and voices of professionals and leaders from historically overburdened communities with health inequities, and advocate for the development of future generations of professionals and leaders from these communities. 

  • Reform. Redesign educational, training, certification, and licensing requirements for the health, planning, and other design-related professions to redress the pervasive history of spatial injustice and exclusion. Revisit professional codes of ethics to reflect the tenets of anti-racism. Integrate new measures and approaches that ground our work in the service of liberated and equitable spaces. Racial equity, implicit bias, and health equity training for our professions are required moving forward.