The 2021 Colorado Health Symposium | Reflect and Reinvent: COVID-19, Racial Justice and Health

About the Event

Last year’s virtual Colorado Health Symposium, “Reflect and Reinvent: COVID-19, Racial Justice and Health,” took place on Thursday, Aug. 5 and Friday, Aug. 6, 2021. We shared in an immersive, engaging experience with incredible speakers, nearly 800 attendees from across Colorado, and our wonderful community advisory committee! 

From inclusion and diversity experts Dr. Johnnetta Cole and Howard Ross to comedian, author and activist Baratunde Thurston, and Colorado leaders advancing racial justice and health equity, attendees had the chance to pause and reflect on the past year, and reinvent how we can build a healthier Colorado – together. 

Watch recordings of select conversations and performances (available in English and Spanish)!

As the leading driver of health inequity, racial injustice most significantly affects people of color living on low income. The pandemic’s devastating impact, coupled with renewed activism for racial justice, calls us to boldly address the imbalances of power and privilege and those who have been historically excluded.

The gathering offered us an opportunity to connect, and together we explored the intersection of systemic racism and the pandemic, and set our sights on emerging pathways toward a more equitable and healthy future for Colorado communities.

Participating required us to get comfortable with being uncomfortable, think in new ways, engage in constructive conversations that address racial inequalities, learn how to connect with divergent views and perspectives, and explore tools that can help dismantle systemic racism.

Progress can feel slow and insufficient, however, that’s how the long work of bending the arc of justice continues. We hope the 2021 Symposium provided space for attendees (and those who watch the recordings) the opportunity to recharge, reconnect and reflect as we all consider ways to reinvent a healthier future.

Related Resources

This year’s Colorado Health Symposium, “Reflect and Reinvent: COVID-19, Racial Justice and Health,” was designed to explore the intersection of systemic racism and the pandemic, and set our sights on emerging pathways toward a more equitable and healthy future for Colorado communities. Check out these related resources. 

• Watch recordings of select conversations and performances from the Symposium (available in English and Spanish).
• Learn why we believe racial justice is the key pathway to achieving health equity.
• Enjoy this playlist of songs of strength performed by The Synthesizers and suggested by the audience.
• Create a personal “medicine box,” an activity led by Angell Pérez during “Pausing to Dream and Reconnecting to Self.”
• Review the Foundation’s glossary of terms provided to offer context for the topics discussed at the Symposium.
• Explore the perspective of more than 2,000 Coloradans that came out of Pulse: The Colorado Health Foundation Poll (the Racial Justice and Coronavirus Pandemic sections are particularly relevant).
• Watch “At the Heart of the Matter: Belonging is the Antidote to Racism,” a conversation with john a. powell, director of the Othering & Belonging Institute, and Karen McNeil-Miller, our president and CEO.

Agenda

Day One: Reflect – Thursday, Aug. 5, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.

The last 18 months have been unprecedented and exasperating – especially for communities of color. On day one, we took a collective breath and reflected on what has happened, how we responded to a worldwide pandemic and how communities met extraordinary challenges. We recognized accomplishments, called out needed improvements and built connections to address the challenges that persist.

• 10-10:40 a.m. | Welcome and Opening Remarks
  • Amy Latham – Chief Impact Officer, The Colorado Health Foundation
  • Mark E. Wallace, MD, MPH – CEO/CMO, North Colorado Health Alliance
  • Karen McNeil-Miller – President and CEO, The Colorado Health Foundation
• 10:40-11 a.m. | A Collective Breath: Reflection Activity
  • The Synthesizers: Brer Rabbit and Jonny 5 of the Flobots, joined by Franklin Cruz, Lady Larea, Ryan Foo, Chrissy G and Michelle Rocqet

This session provided a literal and figurative breath in an engaging, creative exercise to share and reflect on our individual and collective experiences of the past year. 

• 11-11:15 a.m. | Break and Artistic Performance
• 11:15-12:15 p.m. | Forming Connection in a Divided World
  • Dr. Johnnetta Cole – President Emerita, Spelman College and Bennett College for Women
  • Howard Ross – Founder of Udarta Consulting and Cook Ross, Inc.

Karen McNeil-Miller, president and CEO of The Colorado Health Foundation, sat down with two extraordinary unconscious bias and diversity experts, Dr. Johnnetta Cole and Howard Ross, to discuss the evolution of the racial equity conversation and tools for bridging across race to create true allyship and communities of inclusion, trust and collaboration. 

• 12:15-1:30 p.m. | Lunch Break
• 1:30-2:50 p.m. | Funding Practices That Promote Equity
  • Ned Calonge, MD, MPH – President and CEO, The Colorado Trust
  • Lauren Y. Casteel – President and CEO, The Women’s Foundation of Colorado
  • Cass Walker Harvey – Executive Director, First Southwest Community Fund
  • Carlos Martinez – President and CEO, Latino Community Foundation
  • Crystal Middlestadt – Executive Director, Chinook Fund
  • Facilitated by: Karen McNeil-Miller – President and CEO, The Colorado Health Foundation

Philanthropic leaders shared how they have changed their practices to support communities most affected by the pandemic and philanthropy’s role in addressing racial inequities. Attendees had the opportunity to ask anything. 

• 2:50-3 p.m. | Break and Artist Performance
• 3-4:30 p.m. | The Path Forward: Community-Driven Solutions
  • Thomas G. Allen Jr. – Data Manager for Honoring Fatherhood Program, Denver Indian Center
  • Ricardo Perez – Executive Director, Hispanic Affairs Project
  • Annie Guo VanDan – Executive Director, Colorado Asian Culture and Education Network
  • Facilitated by: Amy Latham – Chief Impact Officer, The Colorado Health Foundation

Colorado organizations shared examples of innovative, community-driven solutions emerging to address the effects of a pandemic which exposed undeniable impacts of racism.

• 4:30-5 p.m. | Ending on a High Note: Live Performance
  • The Synthesizers

We ended the day with an uplifting, musical experience that supported our well-being and readied us for day two!

Day Two: Reinvent – Friday, Aug. 6, 8:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.

On day two, we gathered momentum for the road ahead by identifying ways to make enduring change and further deepen our connections as we work to create a more equitable Colorado.

• 8:30-8:40 a.m. | Welcome
  • Amy Latham – Chief Impact Officer, The Colorado Health Foundation
• 8:40-9:45 a.m. | Moving Forward Together*
  • Baratunde Thurston – Writer, Activist and Comedian
  • Karen McNeil-Miller – President and CEO, The Colorado Health Foundation

If laughter is the best medicine, let’s do some of that while exploring the intersection of systemic racism and the pandemic, so we can make change following tragedy and create a more equitable and healthy future.

*Recording unavailable

• 9:45-10:05 a.m. | Guided Activities 
  • The Synthesizers 
• 10:05-10:30 a.m. | Gathering Momentum for the Road Ahead: Live Performance 
  • The Synthesizers 
• 10:30-10:55 a.m. | Centering Racial Justice to Achieve Health Equity 
  • Amy Latham – Chief Impact Officer, The Colorado Health Foundation
  • Karen McNeil-Miller – President and CEO, The Colorado Health Foundation

Amy Latham and Karen McNeil-Miller spoke about how the Foundation is infusing diversity, equity and inclusion practices into our work, including current funding, policy priorities, community leadership programs, and community engagement work, such as listening mechanisms and convenings.

• 10:55 a.m.-Noon | Pausing to Dream and Reconnecting to Self
  • Angell Pérez, MA – Executive Director, Colorado Circles for Change 

Self-care is necessary in the midst of the hard work of racial justice. Angell led us through an opportunity to pause, reflect and dream about what a better future could look like through an immersive, guided meditation activity and the creation of a personalized “medicine box” to support your self-care.

• Noon-12:25 p.m. | Reflect, Reinvent, Amplify the Voices of Others: Live Performance 
  • The Synthesizers
• 12:25-12:30 p.m. | Closing
  • Karen McNeil-Miller – President and CEO, The Colorado Health Foundation

2022 Colorado Health Symposium

The 2022 Colorado Health Symposium is taking place in person in Keystone, CO – July 27-29, 2022! Sign up for our email updates to receive the latest information about the Symposium. Applications for the Symposium Fellowship Program and proposals for Exchange Sessions are due March 30 (11:59 p.m. MT).