New Program Equips Leaders to Dismantle Structural Racism in Health

WASHINGTON – March 03, 2026 – In a significant move to address the root causes of health disparities, HCN Global is launching a new training series designed to equip community leaders with the tools to identify and dismantle structural racism. The initiative, part of the ninth edition of the Culture of Health / la Cultura de Salud multimedia program, aims to move the public health conversation beyond symptoms to confront the systemic barriers that have long plagued Latino and Black communities in the United States.

Supported by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF), the new two-part webinar series seeks to empower the very communities most affected by health inequities. With over 40 years of experience creating culturally grounded content for and by communities of color, HCN Global is leveraging its extensive network to provide a new framework for understanding and action.

"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."

Beyond Symptoms: A Systemic Approach to Health Equity

The initiative marks a critical shift in public health strategy, focusing on structural racism—the policies, systems, and ingrained practices that create and perpetuate racial inequities. This approach acknowledges that disparities in health outcomes are not the result of individual choices alone, but are deeply embedded in the fabric of society.

Data consistently reveals the stark reality of these disparities. Black women and infants face significantly higher mortality rates than their white counterparts, a gap that persists across income levels. Latino communities have contended with higher uninsured rates and were disproportionately devastated by the COVID-19 pandemic. These health outcomes are inextricably linked to economic and social systems. For example, historical and ongoing discriminatory practices like redlining have concentrated communities of color in neighborhoods with fewer resources, greater exposure to environmental pollutants, and less access to quality food and housing. Research shows that these formerly redlined neighborhoods today exhibit lower life expectancy and a higher prevalence of chronic disease.

This new training program aligns with a growing consensus among leading public health bodies, including the CDC, that achieving health equity requires directly confronting racism. By focusing on systems like housing, food access, education, and immigration policy, the program aims to unpack how these structures systematically disadvantage Black and Latino communities, leading to measurable differences in well-being and life expectancy.

From Knowledge to Action: Inside the Training

HCN Global's Building Equity: Tools for Community Leadership series is structured to build a bridge from understanding to tangible action. The program is divided into two distinct but interconnected webinars designed for community leaders, health workers, and advocates.

The first session, “Seeing the Structures,” will provide a comprehensive overview of how systemic inequities manifest. Participants will examine the impact of discriminatory housing policies on generational wealth and health, how food deserts limit nutritional access in specific neighborhoods, the role of underfunded schools in perpetuating health literacy gaps, and the ways in which immigration policy can create fear and prevent individuals from seeking necessary care.

Building on this foundation, the second webinar, “From Knowledge to Action,” transitions into a hands-on, interactive workshop. This session is designed to be a practical laboratory for change. Participants will be guided through exercises to map the specific structural barriers present in their own local communities. They will then develop targeted messaging that connects the lived experiences of community members—such as the inability to afford medication or find fresh produce—to these larger systemic causes. The ultimate goal is for attendees to leave with concrete, actionable plans for organizing, advocacy, and driving systems-level change.

The Power of Culturally Grounded Communication

Central to the initiative's potential impact is HCN Global's unique position as a media organization built for and by BIPOC communities. With a deep understanding that effective communication is not about simple translation but about cultural resonance, the organization leverages its trusted platforms to engage audiences on complex issues.

The program will be disseminated through HCN Global's powerful media networks, including La Red Hispana, which reaches an estimated 8 million Latinx consumers weekly through more than 125 radio affiliates and digital channels. This is complemented by targeted outreach through Melanin Thriving and LatinEQUIS, ensuring the content reaches both Spanish-speaking and English-preferring Latino and Black audiences.

By providing bilingual resources and fostering peer learning, the series addresses a critical gap identified in HCN Global's own research: while many community leaders witness the impacts of systemic racism daily, they often lack a shared language or framework to advocate for change effectively. This program aims to provide that vocabulary, backed by evidence-based tools and the expertise of a network that has been a trusted voice in these communities for decades.

A Strategic Alliance for Change

The collaboration with the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation underscores the national significance of this effort. RWJF, one of the nation's largest health philanthropies, has itself made a strategic pivot in recent years to explicitly name and work to dismantle structural racism as a primary barrier to its mission of achieving health equity in America. This partnership represents a powerful alignment of missions, combining HCN Global's grassroots communication expertise with RWJF's national platform and commitment to systemic change.

The support from RWJF is not merely financial; it signals a shared understanding that lasting progress requires investing in community capacity and empowering local leaders to challenge the inequitable systems that shape their lives. To support this long-term vision, dedicated web pages with resources for English and Spanish-speaking leaders have been launched, ensuring that the work of organizing and advocacy can continue long after the webinars conclude. By providing these tools and fostering a network of informed and activated leaders, the initiative hopes to catalyze a new wave of community-led action aimed at building a more just and healthy future for all.