HCN Global is launching the ninth edition of its Culture of Health / la Cultura de Salud multimedia programming series, this year featuring a new bilingual webinar series focused on helping community leaders identify and address structural racism as a root cause of health inequity. Supported by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF), the initiative builds on over four decades of HCN Global's work creating culturally grounded campaigns alongside communities of color, who continue to face compounding barriers to health access, education, and economic opportunity.
The series aims to equip local leaders with practical tools to recognize how systems shape health outcomes and how to organize for lasting change. "Community partners are on the front lines witnessing how structural barriers show up in daily life—families choosing between rent and groceries, children attending underfunded schools, immigrants afraid to access healthcare," said Alison Rodden, HCN Global CEO. "This series gives them the language, frameworks, and practical examples of how to name these structures, connect them to health outcomes, and mobilize for change."
Structural racism—defined as the policies, systems, and practices built into society that create and maintain racial inequities—continues to shape access to quality healthcare, nutritious food, safe housing, and educational opportunities. These barriers disproportionately impact Latino, Black, Indigenous, and immigrant communities, resulting in measurably worse health outcomes and reduced life expectancy. Health and economic data reveal persistent racial disparities: Black women and infants experience significantly higher mortality rates than their white counterparts, while Latino communities have faced higher uninsured rates and disproportionate impacts from COVID-19. Economically, white households hold substantially more wealth than Black and Latino households, and homeownership rates—a key source of generational wealth—are markedly higher among white families. These gaps stem from longstanding discriminatory policies such as redlining and unequal lending practices.
The "Building Equity: Tools for Community Leadership" webinar series is a two-part training. The first webinar, "Seeing the Structures," examines how inequities in housing and food systems, education and health literacy, and immigration policy impact community health and access to care. The second webinar, "From Knowledge to Action," is an interactive workshop where participants map local barriers, develop messaging that connects community issues to structural causes, and create action plans for organizing, advocacy, and systems-level change.
HCN Global's research identified gaps in how community organizations understand and communicate about structural racism as a driver of health inequities. While leaders witness impacts firsthand, many lack shared language and frameworks to connect lived experiences to systemic causes or advocate effectively for change. This webinar series addresses those gaps by providing evidence-based, culturally relevant tools; elevating community expertise; and offering bilingual resources and peer learning opportunities. The initiative leverages national networks including La Red Hispana, Melanin Thriving, and LatinEQUIS to expand access to trusted community partners. Dedicated webpages house resources to help leaders continue this work beyond the live sessions. For Spanish resources, visit laredhispana.org/liderazgo-para-una-cultura-de-salud/. For English-preferring Latino and Black audiences, visit melaninthriving.com/leadership-for-culture-of-health and wearelatinequis.com/leadership-for-a-culture-of-health.
Community leaders, health workers, advocates, and partner organizations interested in participating can register at https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/A4d9Hx10RdGvjIiHg4i5NQ#/registration. The webinars are free and open to all who work with communities impacted by health inequities.
