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from the Virginia Garcia Newsletter:

“We still have mountains to climb. Our communities, faced with barriers around language, transportation, access to food and more rely on us to be their voice.” Virginia Garcia CEO Gil Munoz opened this year’s Health Care Symposium by reminding us that while we have come a long way in the past year, we still have much to do.

The 2021 Virginia Garcia Virtual Health Care Symposium, The Covid Truth: Examining Racial, Social and Health Injustice was held Thursday, April 8 and featured a discussion panel that included Portland City Commissioner Carmen Rubio, Virginia Garcia family physician Dr. Eva Galvez and PCC Board Member Mohamed Alyajouri. The event was moderated by Northwest Health Foundation’s CEO and President, Jesse Beason.

The events of the past year brought to light what communities of color have always endured: a society that marginalizes and minimizes their struggles and their needs. COVID-19 pulled back the curtain on the barriers these communities face when accessing simple everyday necessities, like food, transportation and health care.

Facilitated by Beason, the hour-long discussion ranged from historic racism to vaccine accessibility to health and worker conditions that have long lasting and disproportionate effects on communities of color.

“Recent decisions at the state and federal level are finally moving us closer towards equity goals, we have long way to go as a state and as a nation,” said Executive Director Serena Cruz in her closing statement. “Each of us is responsible for looking for the ways we can pursue equity both personally and professionally so that we can secure greater equity and justice in everything we do.”

If you missed this discussion, or would like to share it with others, you can find the full video on the Virginia Garcia YouTube page.