As Extension seeks to respond to the challenges of the 21st century, staff from University of Minnesota Extension’s health and nutrition program area are embracing racial equity as a core focus of their systems change work. They believe that racial equity is an integral part of work across Extension services and that we must improve our capacity to serve Black, Indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC) community members. Consider, for example, how health and nutrition are connected to disparities in food access, agriculture is connected to disparities in land access, and access to youth programming is connected to disparities in graduation rates in BIPOC communities as compared to predominantly White communities (Hassel, 2004; Horst & Marion, 2018; Raja et al., 2008; Ratkos & Knollenberg, 2015). In Minnesota, this is especially significant, given the state’s ranking as one of the worst in the nation in terms of racial inequality (McCann, 2020).
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Sourced from: Journal of Extension
Jamie Bain
Health and Nutrition Extension Educator
Noelle Harden
Health and Nutrition Extension Educator
Stephanie Heim
Associate Program Director
Center for Family Development
University of Minnesota Extension