with the American Association of Colleges & Universities; and Heather McGhee, a renowned thought leader and author of an award-winning, New York Times Bestselling book, The Sum of Us— What Racism Costs Everyone and How We Can Prosper Together.
“The Heart of America Survey truly shows that a counternarrative exists to the dominant media attention on our political divisions,” said McGhee. “Yes, the Heart of America Survey says that four out of five Americans believe that the country is more divided now than ever before, but in that same survey, more than four out of five Americans are united on some of the most hot-button issues around race and our democracy, where there have been shocking decisions by state legislatures and by this conservative Supreme Court in the area of diversity policies and in the areas of book banning and censorship around our children’s freedoms to learn.”
Further, McGhee cites the
“unprecedented last decade of movement building” among whites and people of color since the summer of 2020 in support of Black lives, women’s rights, and reproductive freedom.
“These movements speak to an enduring and, in fact, a growing understanding that our freedoms as Americans are secured by collective action, by people standing up for one another, by the kinds of forward progress that we can never take for granted, and there are demonstrable, quantifiable health outcomes for each of those movements’ successes,” McGhee said, noting the need for democracy to protect “our hard-won freedoms” that affect our health as well as life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.
As part of its commemoration of the National Day of Racial Healing, NCHE also released five scholarly articles on race and racial healing, which are important resources for leaders working to end racism and achieve health equity.
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21st-Century Narrative Change with Focus on Social Media, written by Amy Sprecher and Aaliytha Stevens, Co-founders Building CommUnity LLC
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Facilitating Social Transformation Through Self and Collective Healing: A Collection of Insights, Resources, and Practices, written by Colette Rausch, Director, Neuroscience and Peacebuilding, Think Peace, and Laura Webber, Convener, Think Peace Learning and Support Hub
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Toward Transformative Reparations, written by Rob Corcoran, Program Design & Training Consultant, Initiatives of Change International, and Mike Wenger, Senior Fellow, American Association of Colleges and Universities (AAC&U)
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Segregation Yesterday and Today: Exploring Possibilities for Systemic Change, written by Susan Eaton, Professor of Practice & Director, The Sillerman Center, The Heller School for Social Policy and
Management at Brandeis University
- The Economic Wellbeing of Black Americans and the Implications for Health Equity, written by Darrell J. Gaskins, Ph.D., MS, William C. and Nancy F. Richardson, Professor in Health Policy and Director, Hopkins Center for Health Disparities Solutions, Department of Health Policy and Management, Johns Hopkins School of Management and Public Health.
“Every major social transformational era in our nation’s history has been associated with major innovations in mass media and communication,” said Dr. Christopher. “The abolition of slavery emerged as newspapers and telegraphic communication became available. The civil rights movement reached the hearts of millions through television. This current era of information technology, social media, and AI significantly impacts mass communication and subsequent understanding and perception of our country and humanity…
