The UConn Health Disparities Institute (HDI) is virtually hosting its international 2021 State of Health Equity among Boys and Men of Color Summit on June 8-10, 2021. The unprecedented Summit will focus on “Trauma, incarceration and justice across the life course: transforming systems for behavioral health equity among boys and men of color.”
The aim of this virtual convening is to ignite public discourse and action that will advance health equity, racial justice, and systems change for radical healing among boys and men of color. It will feature solutions-driven, interactive, and high- powered sessions that employ arts-based approaches along with intergenerational dialogues designed to amplify youth voice.
UConn HDI’s mission is to reduce disparities by turning ideas shown to work into policies and actions. To advance this mission, the Institute has produced and disseminated the first CT Report Card on Health Equity among Boys and Men of Color, which serves as a launch pad for this Summit.
“We are at a critical health equity precipice among boys and men of color. For example, this past year alone, we observed upticks in racialized violence largely directed at this priority population,” says Wizdom Powell, Ph.D., MPH, Director of the UConn Health Disparities Institute and Associate Professor of Psychiatry at UConn Health. “We need radically different approaches to addressing the collective wounding and heightened trauma risk induced by this social exposure. This unprecedented gathering of global leaders addresses this need and moves us towards novel solutions.”
The Summit will have high intensity, ignite-style main stage speakers that craft compelling narratives, including many nationally renowned leaders known for their health equity work among boys and men of color. There will also be engaging breakout sessions and skills-based workshops that build on each main stage speaker’s presentation, by connecting the dots between the shared narratives, practical solutions (research, policy, etc.), and measurable outcomes.
The Summit will also include a companion event on June 11, 2021: “The Ideas Lab”, an incubator focused on developing and providing seed funding for innovative solutions to complex problems by harnessing the collective creative energy of multi-sector teams.
“We are so proud of Dr. Powell and the UConn HDI’s rigorous scientific research translating into policy to create true structural changes addressing health inequities and disparities especially for high risk boys and men of color,” says Dr. Bruce T. Liang, dean of UConn School of Medicine, a co-sponsor of the Summit. “HDI is indeed an integral part of the community’s fabric and is moving the needle in a major way to actively improve the health care access, health and mental health, and lives of young adult Black men.”
“We at Hartford HealthCare are compelled to do this work,” said Dr. John Santopietro, Physician-In-Chief for the Hartford HealthCare Behavioral Health Network. “There will never be another day I walk into my office as a healthcare leader and I’m not engaged in the work of anti-racism and health equity. We know now that racism and inequity are a public health crisis. We are so honored to sponsor this conference, which has drawn some of the best minds in the nation together, and to throw our support behind Dr. Powell and the transformational community work of the HDI. We have a moment, and the time is now. Let’s make the most of it!”
This event was made possible with support from title sponsor Hartford HealthCare Behavioral Health Network and other co-sponsors. For more information, contact the UConn Health Disparities Institute team at hdievents@uchc.edu