Can Reparations Close The Racial Health Gap? A Symposium Examining the Persistent Toll of Anti-Black Racism and Avenues for Redress

This day-long symposium brings together leading scholars, community organizers, and policy makers to grapple with the challenging questions of how to redress centuries of anti-Black racism and discrimination – and how to ensure that any move toward reparations is designed with the long-term health of Black communities and individuals in mind.

Expect an engaging day with a mix of fireside chats, evidence-driven panel discussions, and personal narratives. We’ll host an interactive dreamscaping activity in the afternoon and close with a keynote from scholar and lawyer Kamilah Moore, who chairs the California Reparations Task Force.

Other speakers include Dr. Aletha Maybank, chief health equity officer of the American Medical Association; Dr. William Darity, Jr, who leads a social equity center at Duke University; Boston City Council Member Julia Mejia; New York State Health Commissioner Mary Bassett; and Rev. Cornell William Brooks, former president of the NAACP. Harvard Chan School Dean Michelle A. Williams will introduce the event.

The symposium is sponsored by Harvard Public Health Magazine and the FXB Center for Health and Human Rights at Harvard University.