ARE Committee

Duke-Margolis Commitment to Address Anti-Racism and Advance Equity

Duke-Margolis is committed to critically examining and expanding its research portfolio, workplace culture, and academic programming to equip current and future health leaders to advance health equity principles. We recognize as a Center the systemic racism and racial and ethnic health inequities are present globally, nationally, and locally. We are taking steps to be a workplace, and a research and education institution that embeds the values of anti-racism and equity in our research and academic programming.

To inform the Center’s efforts, Duke-Margolis launched the Anti-Racism and Equity Committee (AREC) following George Floyd’s death from police brutality. The Committee’s overall goal is to propose Center-wide recommendations and work with Margolis leaders to implement changes that address the current structural inequities related to global power dynamics, race, ethnicity, gender, and all marginalized identities. The AREC is comprised of four subcommittees: 1) Research Practices and Priorities, 2) Academic Programming and Education, 3) Staffing, Recruitment, and Retention Equity, and 4) Communications and Operations. A summary of the worked accomplished by the Committee and its next steps are detailed below.

Duke-Margolis staff, faculty, and students can click here to access additional resources and information on each of the subcommittees. 

Research Practices and Priorities:

High-level aim: To further alignment of Duke-Margolis research activities and projects with Center values to advance health equity and anti-racism.

Accomplishments: Provided recommendations  to help the Center further operationalize its commitment to health equity and anti-racism in its research practices and priorities; recommended a health equity focus be added to the Center’s now updated mission statement; and established a forum to disseminate health equity and anti-racism research.

Academic Programming and Education

High-level aim: To help develop and integrate anti-racism and equity principles, practices and academic content/material into health policy curriculum and other academic programming at the Center.

Accomplishments: Developed a dynamic resource portal that links to books, articles, films, short videos, and other content related to anti-racism and health equity; developed health equity core competencies to use in academic programming; created an action plan for integrating these aims into the Centers’ education and training programs and initiatives at the undergraduate, graduate, and post-graduate/continuing education level.

Staffing, Recruitment and Retention

High-level aim: To increase Black, Indigenous, and Latino or Latinx representation across all levels of the Center, promote an anti-racist work culture, and recommend solutions to meet these objectives.

Accomplishment: Developed an action plan with suggested recommendations and key results related to improving Center recruitment activities, hiring practices, and retention for Duke-Margolis to meet its commitment to anti-racism and health equity values.

Communications and Operations

High-level aim: To cultivate avenues for sustained discussion, conversation, and dissemination of research related to anti-racism and health equity, and to communicate AREC activities to the broader Duke-Margolis community and connect staff with helpful resources.

Accomplishments: Crafted objectives to integrate anti-racism and equity-focused initiatives within Duke-Margolis communications and operations programs, including attention to language, how work is disseminated, how different communities are represented in our work, and how the Center reacts to real-time, current events; launched Duke-Margolis community  journal clubs and open discussions on equity and antiracism; and established a regular Duke-Margolis seminar to present work and research on advancing health equity.