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Race and Social Justice Initiative (RSJI)
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      Analysis, data, and community stories about racial equity topics like youth wellbeing and food insecurity. Use this research to plan and evaluate your ...
    • Poverty BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color) face many barriers to financial stability because of structural racism. Keep reading to learn more about the ...
    • Community Wealth Since the founding of the United States, structural racism has prevented BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and other people of color) from building wealth. Continue ...
    • Food Insecurity When individuals and families don’t have enough healthy food, it affects their health and wellbeing. Keep reading to learn about the root causes of food ...
    • Housing Affordability The ability to afford a safe, clean, and welcoming place to live has become increasingly challenging for BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color), who ...
    • Racial Demographics BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color) now make up over one-third of Seattle’s population. Understanding racial demographics can help us determine what ...
    • Health Disparities Healthy individuals create healthy communities. Keep reading to learn how some people are exposed to more health risks than others.
    • About this Research See our methodology, where the data comes from, and who to contact.
Home Racial Equity Research

Health Disparities

Healthy individuals create healthy communities. Keep reading to learn how some people are exposed to more health risks than others.
Health outcomes
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What Are Health Disparities?

The Healthy People 2020 report by the federal Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion (ODPHP) says that a healthy disparity is a "health difference that is closely linked with social, economic, and/or environmental disadvantage". 

Examples of health disparities between groups: 

  • Two people enter the hospital after being shot. The white person is taken immediately to surgery, while the Black person is questioned by the police.
  • A businessperson gets flu-like symptoms, takes time off to visit the doctor, and returns to work. A store clerk gets flu-like symptoms and dies because they can't afford to go to the doctor.
  • A teacher in a low-income neighborhood develops asthma because of pollution, while a teacher in a wealthy area on the other side of town enjoys clean air and healthy lungs.

Everybody's health is different, but some people are exposed to more health risks because of their identity, financial status, environment, or other reasons. Racism has devastating effects on the health of BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and other People of Color).

BIPOC receive worse healthcare because of racism.

BIPOC patients don't receive the same quality of healthcare as white patients, regardless of their income level or education. Some BIPOC who are ill don't go to the doctor because they don't expect fair treatment.

The generational trauma from racism causes health problems.

The effects of structural racism are passed from generation to generation. One person's trauma can infect families and communities for years.

Who Is Affected by Health Disparities?

Insights from the data below:  

  • Sodo and South Beacon Hill have significantly higher rates of Diabetes, at a rate between 15-17%. Many other neighborhoods in Seattle have lower rates of Diabetes compared to national averages.
  • American Indian and Alaska Native communities have lower health insurance coverage. About 11% of BIPOC insurance in Seattle, while less than 4% of white residents lack insurance.

How Can We Measure Health Disparities?

Health encompasses many aspects of life, and it's difficult to measure accurately. Data about physical health data, such as lifespan or cancer rates, is not enough to understand health disparities. In order to understand disparities, we need data about social health, such as access to education or neighborhood income levels.

The Healthy People 2030 report will use five key social determinants of health:

  • Education Access and Quality
  • Health Care Access and Quality
  • Economic Stability
  • Neighborhood and Built Environment
  • Social and Community Context

The United States has made progress on collecting social health data in recent years, but there is still much more to be done. For example, because of past health disparities, African Americans participate in studies at lower rates, making the current data incomplete.

Stories from the Community

Free Healthcare Clinic & Seattle Stand Down


The annual free clinic at the Seattle Center provides vital care and check-ups to those unable to access health care due to lack of insurance or inability to pay. For many, this clinic provides hope and relief.

Dr. Ruby Inouye Shu


Dr. Ruby was a Japanese American woman who lived through some of Seattle's darkest days and survived. She became a doctor and served Seattle's Japanese American community throughout her life.

What Are Some Root Causes of Racial Health Disparities?

Almost every part of your life—from childhood trauma to pollution in your hometown—can impact your health and access to proper care.

General Articles

  • How racism directly threatens our public health (Crosscut)
  • How Racism Makes Us Sick (TED Talk by David R. Williams)
  • How Racism May Cause Black Mothers to Suffer The Death Of Their Infants (NPR)
  • Racial trauma can be deadly for Black people. Here are five ways to cope with it. (Washington Post)
  • Social Determinants of Health: An Introduction (Let's Learn Public Health)
  • Structural Racism as a Fundamental Driver of Health Disparities (American Heart Association)
  • The trauma of systematic racism is killing Black women. A first step toward change... (TED Talk by T. Morgan Dixon and Vanessa Garrison)
  • What 'Racism Is a Public Health Issue' Means (Smithsonian Magazine)
  • Why Race Matters: Black Mental Health (PBS)

Academic Articles

  • A Shared Bibliography on Systemic Racism and Health Disparities (Annals of Family Medicine)
  • Health Disparities and Health Equity: The Issue Is Justice (American Journal of Public Health)
  • More than Tuskegee: Understanding Mistrust about Research Participation (Journal of Health Care for the Poor and Underserved)
  • Organizational level indicators to address health equity work in local public health agencies: A scoping review (National Library of Medicine)

Dashboards

  • King County Health Disparities Dashboard (Communities Count)
  • Washington Environmental Health Disparities Map (WA Department of Health)

Who Is Taking Action?

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Community

Government

Asian Counseling and Referral Service
Behavioral health programs, services, and activities for Asian Americans, Pacific Islanders, and other communities.
Community Health Board Coalition
Decolonizing health for BIPOC communities.
Health King County Coalition
BIPOC-led network that works to eliminate health disparities.
SeaMar Community Health Centers
Health, human, housing, educational, and cultural services, specializing in service to Latinos.
Seattle Indian Health Board
A health center specializing in Native people.
Urban League of Metropolitan Seattle
Advocacy, education, housing, public health, and workforce development for underserved communities.
Therapy Fund Foundation
Free therapy and healing for BIPOC.
Young Women Empowered
Leadership training, development, and activities for diverse young people who identify as women.
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Age-Friendly Seattle
City of Seattle’s vision for a city that is a great place to grow old.
Community Health and Access Program
Seattle & King County Public Health telephone program that connects low-income people to health insurance.
DOH Health Equity
The Washington State Department of Health works to create health equity.
Human Services Department (HSD)
The City of Seattle invests in public health through HSD programs.
Public Health Seattle King County
Works to improve the health of all people in Seattle and King County.
Racism as a Public Health Crisis in King County
King County declared racism a public health crisis and established a community oversight board.
Washington State Health Care Authority
Purchases healthcare for people in Washington State to ensure better health access at lower costs.
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Explore the City of Seattle's Actions Towards Racial Equity

See who to contact, what we'll deliver, and how we plan on meeting our desired outcomes.

City Racial Equity Actions

Race and Social Justice Initiative

Address: 810 3rd Avenue, Suite 750, Seattle, WA, 98104-1627
Phone: (206) 684-4500
Fax: (206) 684-0332

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