We recognize that anti-Black racism and state-sponsored structural violence perpetrated against Black, Brown and Indigenous communities is a public health crisis. Racism-driven social, economic, and health disparities have been painfully exposed by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Those of us in positions of privilege are rightly being called to listen to voices of Black, Brown and Indigenous communities who have long been demanding change. But listening is not enough. We must also commit, individually and collectively, to act on what we hear by trusting the lived experience and demands of those whose lives are put in jeopardy by police, who deal every day with micro-aggressions, who are discriminated against in job searches, in educational opportunity and expectations, and in their quest for dignity and equal treatment in health care.

Partners In Health exists to push back against vast inequities in health care that reflect colonial legacies and ongoing systems prioritizing white lives over all others. While continuing to support this work, PIH Canada will take steps to implement antiracist policies in our organization, advocate for antiracist policies in Canada, and to elevate the voices of Black leaders and communities in our collective fight for justice for all.