Racial reconciliation and healing

Southern Jamaica Plain Health Center is committed to providing quality healthcare for the Jamaica Plain and surrounding communities. We recognize the impact racism has on health outcomes and understand that it is necessary to address it in order to stay true to our commitment to our patients and the community as a whole. The center sponsors the Racial Reconciliation and Healing program, a mixed race group of youth from the community where safe conversations surrounding race take place. The Racial Reconciliation and Healing program emerged out of the partnership between the Boston Public Health Commission and SJPHC. SJPHC developed a model to support youth ages 16-22 in a process of racial healing and reconciliation as a tool for lifelong engagement in the work of racial justice and health equity. Now in its third year, the program brings together 16 youth, half white and half of color, to discuss, expose, and address structural racism and inequities in health. The model was developed to contain intentional spaces for thinking about these issues and for feeling what comes up when we dive into the issues or “heart space.” The idea is that by talking about the experiences and even hardships associated with race, the youth are able to develop a deeper understanding of one another. This understanding allows for personal growth, promotes a more harmonious work/school environment, and cultivates both the ability and the desire to recognize and address racial inequity in day to day life.