Last month (March), our GenUnity members completed the first step in our Health Equity community leadership program, the People Module! And, we're excited to share a few highlights that inspired us!

What is the People Module?

Our program starts by centering the lived experiences of those affected by or experiencing health inequities in the Greater Boston community today. Members collectively invested over 150 hours in dialogue and discussion with our 12 community partners representing a diversity of experiences - from patients to frontline healthcare workers to local community leaders. By sharing those experiences with each other and bringing their own lived experiences into the space, our members deepened their understanding of the health equity challenges people are grappling with in our communities.

What did our members learn?

Below are a few of the reflections members shared with us from their People Module learning experiences!

• Proximity produces passion and perspective
  • “In my work I recognize that I also tend to stay in my "bubble" of people. After talking to Rev Mariama, I hope to seek out more opportunities to step outside of my bubble or comfort zone, and this made me really grateful for this program because I feel like I'm getting so many great opportunities to start that work now."
  • “I think that reading about how covid affected communities of color versus speaking with patients didn't fully paint the picture of how different covid was for me. I think that it's time for a step up and more active engagement from my end. I have resources that I can share with the community.”
• Solidarity across difference can emerge through dialogue
  • "A similarity I did draw between myself, and these [partners] was the fact that we are all on a mission to promote health justice and equity. Their stories were heartbreaking, but at the same time, I felt charged from each perspective to want to make more of a difference in this space and speak up for individuals and groups of people who are silenced."
  • “I found that despite our differences - race, faith, and so on, there was a shared desire to contribute and make Boston a better place. I also learned, particularly from Rochelle, that our differences are OK…What I do need to do is not sit out. To understand that I come from a different set of experiences, which I can use for good, and to do so.”
• Equity demands Effort
  • “Dr. Robyn Riseberg's presentation made me think a lot about agency in healthcare (particularly the ways traditional systems fail to provide agency), dignity, and the importance of addressing the root causes of problems rather than applying a general one-size-fits-all approach. Our group came back to [Michael Curry’s keynote] that equity often comes at a cost…and how there are many barriers to providing truly supportive, inclusive, and thorough care.”
  • “While Charlene spoke I kept questioning her safety and peace as a Black woman. If she gave up, what would happen? Advocating for your safety and wellbeing is a full time job.”
• Integrating learnings into the workplace
  • “This was a really good check for me as a health care provider and gave some good insight into the importance of health education and making sure patients understand the "whys" of their treatment. Health literacy and knowledge are the foundation to being able to make informed decisions and feeling empowered in your care. Without that, it feels as if the rest is just a band-aid.”
  • “One thing that came up during this are the ways in which I as a white person, in a predominantly white profession seek out opportunities to grow and become more educated in a cultural competency framework…Jessica really challenged me to think about the ways in which I am causing additional harm if I don't have additional training and reflection on how cultural influences impact the work.”

In partnership,

The GenUnity Team