We like many of you are angered and saddened by the death of George Floyd in Minnesota and the impact of racism in our communities. We stand with the black members of our community whose lives have been greatly impacted by this event, daily discrimination and the systemic racism that exists throughout the United States including here in New Hampshire.
Racism like substance misuse is a public health issue. The evidence is clear that racism has a devastating impact on physical and mental well-being. We know that minorities especially African-Americans are disproportionately impacted by health issues including substance use disorders.
An ethical pillar of the work of substance misuse prevention, intervention, treatment, and recovery is non-discrimination. We at Makin’ It Happen are committed to doing the work to address racial disparities and systemic racism in our communities and nations.
We are so proud of the community members here in the Greater Manchester Area that have peacefully protested both last Saturday and Monday night. We are thankful for our police, they are community partners that have done a great job of addressing the hurt in our community in helpful ways while keeping the peace. We are grateful to you all for the example you have set.
We do not have all the answers. We do know that it is critical for us to listen and learn with those with lived experience. Our hearts are open to learning and working towards solutions.
We have listed some New Hampshire organizations below that have been and will continue to address the public health issue of racism:
- New Hampshire ACLU- https://www.aclu-nh.org/
- American Friends Service Committee-NH Program- https://www.afsc.org/office/concord-nh
- Granite State Organizing Project- http://granitestateorganizing.org/
- Black Lives Matter Manchester- https://twitter.com/manchester_blm?fbclid=IwAR2yQXwi-mBgS2BVzqE8Df9juG6Eld3W8aKcVwsYdMYTyqt7hPZI5rFwFwQ
- New Hampshire Showing Up for Racial Justice- https://www.showingupforracialjustice.org/chapters-and-affiliates.html
- Black Heritage Trail of New Hampshire- http://blackheritagetrailnh.org/
- Office of Health Equity-https://www.dhhs.nh.gov/omh/
- New Hampshire Health and Equity Partnership- http://equitynh.org/
Additionally, the American Public Health Association (APHA) has created a resource guide for those wanting to learning more about racism and health https://www.apha.org/topics-and-issues/health-equity/racism-and-health
