The Dalla Lana School of Public Health (DLSPH) has launched a new equity hub that, according to its website, will directly engage with issues related to “equity, inclusivity, and belonging.” The hub will provide students with updates through its website, which has a section for news and accountability.
In an email to The Varsity, Ryan Hinds, director of equity, diversity, and inclusion at the DLSPH, wrote that the hub’s main purpose is to improve communication about DLSPH initiatives related to equity, diversity, inclusion, and antiracism. It also aims to keep the school accountable for all equity commitments that it makes.
The hub will host events; launch programs; and provide students with curricula modifications, equity reports, and news on initiatives. By being more transparent about its work, the hub aims to gather feedback from students, faculty, and staff on how to improve communication and engagement with the website.
The DLSPH recognizes that racism is a public health crisis, and, according to its website, “[It] seeks to nurture excellence in the capacity to understand and respond to the root causes of inequity and exclusion, and their links to health and well being.” The website notes that inequality stems from social structures with historic, economic, and political roots. To combat this, the DLSPH hopes to proactively increase diversity in its community.
Some upcoming events that the DLSPH’s new hub is hosting include an event on understanding and addressing antisemitism and an event on Black histories, Black futures, and community organizing. Further information about both of these events can be found on the equity hub’s website.
