Anti-Racism Accountability Statement

Racism is real and a public health crisis. It is a part of our history and present, and our future is at risk. People are not born racist. However, we are birthed into a world that is racist and has socialized us to operate within a white supremacist system. This system has undeniably been set up to benefit white people over all others. Dismantling racism is an on-going process and requires each of us to have an active role. MSHIELD commits to take action both by intentionally modeling our core value of anti-racism within our team and internal processes, and by engaging the entire Collaborative Quality Initiative (CQI) portfolio in combating all forms of oppression, driving a culture of equity, and upholding anti-racist principles and practices.

MSHIELD condemns all forms of racism and discrimination and commits to leading from an anti-racist disposition by naming, addressing, and taking the necessary steps to eradicate all forms of oppression. With this statement, we position ourselves to stand and take action against all acts and dismantling systems that are oppressive in any form.

Beyond this statement, MSHIELD commits to giving ourselves permission to engage in needed conversations and work through the challenges, difficulties, and discomfort that accompanies them. In doing so, we pledge to be vocal about what is true: Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) remain disproportionately impacted by domestic and international violence, multiple forms of oppression, including racism, on a regular basis, limited access to quality health care, and poor health outcomes. MSHIELD aims to empower CQIs to acknowledge the truth about racism and its impact on health equity and support them in their efforts to work towards structural change for the betterment of all individuals.

The work that we are charged with requires commitment. MSHIELD recognizes that there is a lot that we do not know. Therefore, we permit ourselves to engage in this life-long process. We commit to permanently establishing ourselves as learners, assessing our progress across CQIs, being open to correction and feedback, and continue to seek ways that we can take action individually and collectively on our journey towards becoming more anti-racist. We recognize that our role is not to speak for communities. Therefore, we commit to aligning ourselves with marginalized communities and positioning ourselves to support them in ways that are meaningful to them. It is our aim to stand out as leaders in upholding and demonstrating our value of health equity and anti-racism, with the hope of seeing lasting systemic change that is truly equitable for all individuals.

This statement is summarized in the following commitments:

  1. MSHIELD commits to move from identifying/acknowledging issues to taking action and dismantling systems.

  2. MSHIELD condemns all forms of racism and commits to moving from acknowledgment to action and leading from an anti-racist disposition by naming, addressing, and taking the necessary steps to eradicate all forms of oppression.

  3. MSHIELD commits to intentionally modeling our core value of anti-racism within our team and internal processes.

    • Prioritizing BIPOC and women owned businesses when making purchases and seeking to meet other business needs

    • Recurring MSHIELD meetings that focus on anti-racist professional development (i.e., reflective discussions, book club)

    • Acts of service (i.e., MSHIELD commits to identifying significant days to observe and engage in community activities that are in alignment with identified goals.)

  4. MSHIELD will empower CQIs to acknowledge the truth about racism and its impact on health equity and support them in their efforts to work towards structural change for the betterment of all individuals.

  5. MSHIELD commits to giving ourselves permission to engage in needed conversations and work through the challenges, difficulties, and discomfort that accompany them.

  6. MSHIELD commits to permanently establishing ourselves as learners, assessing our progress across CQIs, being open to correction and feedback, and continue to seek ways that we can take action individually and collectively on our journey towards becoming more anti-racist.

  7. MSHIELD commits to aligning ourselves with marginalized communities and positioning ourselves to support them in ways that are meaningful to them.

Words without action are empty. MSHIELD commits to taking action and holding ourselves accountable for these commitments as we aim to influence the CQI portfolio to actively engage in similar efforts.