Necessary Conversations

This is an open access title available under the terms of a CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 International license. It is free to read at Oxford Scholarship Online and offered as a free PDF download from OUP and selected open access locations.
Necessary Conversations extends a powerful call to action based on a growing body of evidence that racism is the underlying cause of so many poor health outcomes with evidence-based strategies to inspire institutional change.

Alonzo L. Plough, PhD, MPH, MA, is Chief Science Officer and Vice President of Research-Evaluation-Learning at the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. Plough has had a distinguished career in public health practice, academia, and philanthropy. His work focuses on improving health and well-being, and achieving health equity. Plough serves as a board member for many health and social welfare organizations.

Introduction
Prologue: Setting the Stage: The History, Struggle, and Strength of Mississippi
Part I: How Racism Becomes a Structural Problem
Chapter 1: Racial Hierarchy, Race Narrative, and the Structures that Sustain Them
Chapter 2: Beyond the Black/White Binary: Confronting Invisibility and the Harms of "Othering"
Chapter 3: Keeping it Real: Pathways to Authentic Connections
Spotlight - Sharing Stories to Advance Racial Healing
Part II: The Harms of Racial Injustice
Chapter 4: Structural Racism in Black Maternal Healthcare
Spotlight - Partnering to Improve Outcomes for Postpartum Women
Chapter 5: The Health Harms of Incarceration and Punishment
Chapter 6: Immigrant Health: Inequity and Fear
Spotlight - Creative Approaches to Support Immigrant Families
Chapter 7: Climate Crisis, Environmental Justice, and Racial Justice
Part III: Strategies to Advance Racial Equity
Chapter 8: Learning the Lessons of History
Spotlight - Youth Changing the Narrative on Health
Chapter 9: Fair Housing, Equitable Communities
Spotlight - Creating a Healthy, Livable Community
Chapter 10: Transforming Research and Evaluation
Spotlight - Racial Equity and Social Justice in City Health Department Practices
Chapter 11: Racial Justice Through Civic Engagement: A Look at Voting and the Census
Epilogue- RWJF Looks Toward the Future
Spotlight - Building on Past Work to Seize a Moment