We unfortunately live in a global society of the haves and have-nots, and that divide extends deep into the United States. Across this country, entire communities are locked into cycles of poverty not by chance, but by design. Many lack reliable access to healthy, affordable food, quality healthcare, safe housing, and resources that contribute to a healthy quality of life.

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For Black and Brown communities, these inequities can be traced back to decades of discriminatory policies and practices. For example, redlining and discriminatory lending policies contributed to disinvestment in Black and Brown communities for decades that in turn led to contemporary impacts including food deserts, medical/healthcare deserts, and ultimately health inequities. In the U.S. historical and contemporary policies and practices determine who gets to live a healthy and quality life and who doesn’t. 

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The HEW (Health Equity at Work) Talks Podcast explores these disparities and inequities, the social and political context affecting the health and well-being of Black and Brown communities, and what  public health professionals, non-profit and community based organizations  and entities are doing to address them and advance health equity. HEW Talks is dedicated to amplifying the voices of public health professionals and nonprofit leaders doing the real work of advancing health equity in historically marginalized communities.

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Dr. Pascale D. Edouard, DrPH, MPH is the host of HEW Talks. She has more than 15 years of public health experience addressing health disparities and advancing health equity among communities of color and other historically marginalized populations. She has led and contributed to projects and initiatives across different settings, from local county health departments to small and national non-profit organizations, where she has spearheaded initiatives to shift systems, policies, and practices towards health equity and justice. Her collaborative efforts have contributed to improvements to access to healthy food in food desert communities, quality mental health services for marginalized populations, and mitigation of inadequate  Black maternal and infant health outcomes.