Racial Injustice and Disparities Go Hand in Hand

Serving communities with health disparities has been the sum of my professional life as a pediatric nurse practitioner, and sadly, I have not seen much change over the years in the various places our family has lived. Since moving back to this community 20 years ago, it has become even more clear to me that racial injustice and health disparities go hand in hand.

In recent years, my work has been devoted to addressing the gap between the healthcare delivery system and the community by supporting primary prevention efforts in the community that often get short shrift. Due to the rigors of caregiving and the challenges of bringing practical solutions to primary prevention, both of which have involved my professional skills, these years have been the most difficult of my professional and personal life. I have learned much and have more to learn.  

I see the parallels of this health disparities' work in serving on St. Anne’s Truth and Reconciliation Ministry which brings God's call to love one another closer to me and has been a blessing at its core.

I am blessed to be working with Frances and Katie Burke, who are co-chairing this ministry with me. Together, we began meeting with members of St. Philip's Episcopal Church several years ago. Led by members of St. Philip's, the Racial Reconciliation Collaborative was formed and is serving to expand awareness, understanding, and discussion within the community.

Becoming aware of disparities in access to healthy food, education, and affordable housing, has brought parishioners from multiple paths to participate in the St. Anne’s Truth and Reconciliation Ministry. This ministry has researched how our community historically helped to shape these primarily racial disparities and is also charting our path forward as a parish.  

St. Anne’s, as a parish, is a part of the solution through our outreach efforts to support feeding those who are hungry, tutoring at the Stanton Center, providing food and school supplies through the Backpack programs, and supporting local non-profits serving those in need with outreach grants. But the potential for healing in our community is to not only do the current work but to be open to and acknowledge how we got here. God's call to love one another lies in front of us. Participating in this ministry can begin by learning about it through the TRM website. We welcome you to join us. 

Anne Thomas, Co-Chair of the St. Anne’s Truth & Reconciliation Ministry