Our Commitment to Social Justice and Public Health
STATEMENT ON ANTI-RACISM AND SOCIAL JUSTICE
HEART stands against any form of social identity-based discrimination, hate or violence in any form and remains steadfast in its solidarity with Black, Asian, Latine, Indigenous, LGBTQIA+, immigrant, and religious communities oppressed by the ongoing hate and violence targeted against them. We serve as change agents in spaces dedicated to transforming our academic institutions through interrogating and rebuilding the beliefs, policies, and systems that are woven into the very fabric of UCLA.
STATEMENT ON SOCIAL JUSTICE AND PUBLIC HEALTH
Our commitment to equity, diversity and inclusion as stated in UCLA’s mission and Principles of Community statement informs our stance on social justice as a public health issue.
As health education professionals, we acknowledge that the intersections of person (mental, emotional and physical health), place, and planet are inseparable and shape your overall wellbeing. We understand that valuing difference is not enough to manifest justice. We know that your experiences at UCLA are significantly impacted by bias, privilege, marginalization, invisibility, and a culture of white supremacy that results in systemic oppression. We are committed to ensuring your health and safety in the face of these realities, from micro-aggressions to the national political climate.
In these current unprecedented political circumstances, we would like to formally recognize
- Health care is a human right.
- Social justice is a public health issue, which threatens our human rights.
- Abortion is healthcare.
- Gender-affirming care saves lives.
We are committed to healing our community through the pursuit of social justice and dismantling systems of oppression that stand in the way of basic human rights while pursuing equitable health and wellbeing as college students.
Adapted from Statement on Social Justice and Public Health, Center for Health and Wellbeing, University of Vermont