Center for Health Equity Transformation

CHET is located in Lexington, Ky., on the original homeland of diverse Native peoples who arrived over 10,000 years ago, including the ancestors of the Shawnee, Cherokee, Chickasaw, and other Nations. Today, Kentucky is still home to over 25,000 Native people. CHET recognizes the injustices Native peoples have endured. We also recognize the contributions and sacrifices of enslaved Africans, their descendants, and other minoritized peoples whose labor has been stolen or otherwise have been exploited, despite critical contributions to our society and University. We acknowledge those enslaved, displaced, and dispossessed and, in solidarity, commit to recognizing and honoring their legacies. We join with others in our commitment to value with a living wage all those whose labor continues to sustain the University and Commonwealth of Kentucky. We hope to begin the long process of healing by acknowledging, reconciling, and redressing those histories and legacies through our work and this commitment.

Racism constitutes a public health crisis born out of the legacy of slavery and continued oppression. This public health crisis manifests itself in numerous forms: police violence; severely impeded access to healthcare; and the disproportionate prevalence of many preventable conditions including maternal mortality, diabetes, asthma, hypertension, heart disease, and cancer. Racism is a public health threat that undermines health equity.

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