In Good Health

As we continue to battle the coronavirus pandemic, a more pervasive pandemic continues to intensify – racial injustice. Recent civic demonstrations are shining a light on age-old racism, oppression and discrimination against the Black community that predate our country’s founding.

The moment we’re in as a country must become a movement to transform and dismantle the racist structures, systems and narratives that disadvantage Black communities. A future of promise in America, and in Colorado, depends on our ability to address and upend racist policies, practices and behaviors, so that all people – including our Black family, friends and neighbors – have access to the opportunities White folks have long enjoyed.

The Association of Black Foundation Executives (ABFE) recently shared

We recently held an all-staff meeting at which every employee was asked to read aloud a letter they’d prepared about the personal impacts of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. What follows is a portion of the letter I wrote and shared with staff – a deeply personal reflection:

As a Black Southern woman, I always have to manage that core, “forever” identity with my temporary identity as president and CEO of The Colorado Health Foundation. I can’t separate the two and wouldn’t want to – that intersection is where my authenticity lies. However, the pandemic has come into that carefully constructed and maintained balance like a tornado. 

On a day-by-day, hour-by-hour, minute-by-minute basis – on a cellular level – I struggle

Juneteenth, a holiday that has long been celebrated in the Black community, is a tribute to the day in 1865 when African Americans in Texas learned that they were free – two and a half years after the Emancipation Proclamation was signed freeing all slaves in the U.S.

This year’s celebration comes at a moment of deep reckoning in our nation, as communities across the country grapple with the continued legacy of institutional and systemic racism. As we observe Juneteenth, and recognize the significance racism plays in our own history and current realties, it’s important to leverage the power of this day through story.

Here are reflections from some of our staff members:

Karen McNeil-Miller, president and CEO:

“Juneteenth is

Today’s U.S. Supreme Court decision to keep in place the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program (DACA) is a triumph for immigrants, Colorado communities and for our country. DACA recipients weave immense contributions into the fabric of our communities; they have gone to college, started businesses, bought homes and started families. They are our friends, neighbors, co-workers, teachers, members of our military and so much more. Indeed, thousands are health care professionals, or other essential workers, who have been working on the front lines of the pandemic response in Colorado. Keeping families together, healthy and without fear of deportation is key to making our communities stronger, safer and more prosperous. Today and always, we stand with Dreamers and immigrant and