racial equity

With large portions of Los Angeles County undergoing major demographic shifts, racial tensions on high school campuses have continued to grow. In addition, the growing segregation of public high schools means that cross-cultural experiences for students must be intentional, yet many teachers feel ill equipped to provide support. In response, the Leadership Development in Interethnic Relations (LDIR) proposes this initiative to address two important areas of need: education and health.

The project’s work with schools will focus on racial healing, while work with the health sector will focus on addressing structural racism. First, LDIR will continue racial healing efforts on high school campuses in Los Angeles, where students are working to bridge growing racial divides via opportunities for racial reconciliation and cultural understanding. Human Relations Training for teachers will impart skills and resources to better address intergroup tensions in their classrooms. In addition, through a series of training and interactive workshops, LDIR will work with health advocates and community leaders to strengthen their analysis and awareness around the root causes of health disparities. During and after training, participants will benefit from a network of health professionals, community leaders, and advocates working collaboratively to address the root causes of health disparities.