E-News
Equity, Evidence & Engagement
Racism is pervasive in the production of knowledge:
SOPHE publishes "Scholars of Color" a special issue
in the Health Education & Behavior Journal
Racism is pervasive in the production of knowledge. Our academic spaces and research institutions such as the National Institutes of Health and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are part of a system where power is organized around the idea of race and, as such, create and reproduce knowledge to reaffirm that racial system. One of the manifestations of racism in public health is the marginalization of non-White researchers from scholarly publications as authors and editors. To address this systematic exclusion, Dr. Jesus Ramirez-Valles leads a special issue in "Health Education & Behavior dedicated to Scholars of Color" featuring 14 peer-reviewed articles.

In the editorial opening by Dr. Ramirez-Valles underscores the impact of hermeneutical injustice (Fricker, 2007) in public health and science: “This special issue on Scholars of Color is a response to what can only be considered as institutional White supremacy. Our voices, our realities, have been robbed, colonized, and disfigured. Scholars of color are angry, tired, and not willing to remain silent. Many of us write and produce knowledge from our realities and histories, unlike many White scholars. Frequently, when I hear others telling my story, my reality, I feel a type of mutilation; as if someone had stolen and appropriated my soul, my body, and my history.” 

Among the seminal work is a landmark research paper supported by our TREE Center pilot grant program: “Research From a Diné-Centered Perspective and the Development of a Community-Based Participatory Research Partnership.” Co-authored by Dr. Vincent Werito and Dr. Lorenda Belone, and in partnership with Diné community members, the paper highlights six overarching themes that support the important role of utilizing a community-based participatory Diné-centered approach to define community well-being and increase community agency to address their own health disparities. A key call to action is for effective community-engaged research partnerships rooted in a Diné context, informed by a Diné paradigm and grounded in local community cultural knowledge.
Dr. Werito (left) is an associate professor and TREE Center grantee for his work titled - Exploring Solutions that Address the Mental Health Impact of Fracking in Diné Communities. Dr. Belone (right), College of Education and Human Sciences, is an associate professor and leads the TREE Center’s Community Engagement and Dissemination Core (CECD).
Another paper co-authored by TREE Center affiliates Dr.s’ Lisa Cacari Stone, Magdalena Avila and Bonnie Duran emphasizes the power of in advancing knowledge from within mestizo communities and scholars.“El Nacimiento del Pueblo Mestizo: Critical Discourse on Historical Trauma, Community Resilience and Healing" demonstrates “epistemic justice” in describing the social and historical experiences of Mexicans, Mexican Americans, Chicanas/os, and Nuevo Mexicano peoples in the southwestern border region of the United States. In analysis of discourse from two communities, they uncover four salient themes as manifestations of “soul-wound”: (1) violence/fear, (2) discrimination/shame, (3) loss, and (4) deep sorrow. Additional themes mitigating the trauma were community resiliency rooted in “querencia” (deep connection to land/home/people) and “conscientizacion” (critical consciousness). 

Other paper topics range from Hispanic/Latino ethnic identity and structural racism and immigrant health in the U.S. to teaching an Asian American community health course and race-based sexual stereotypes, gendered racism, and sexual decision-making among young Black cisgender women. The authors are affiliated with institutions across the country - The City College of New York, George Washington University, University of Florida, San Francisco State University, and more.

“This special issue reflects SOPHE’s commitment to advancing diversity, equity and inclusion, and addressing anti-racism in health education,” said Dr. Deborah Fortune, SOPHE President. “I commend the HE&B editors and guest editors for their dedication to highlighting the voices of scholars of color on these important timely topics.”  
In order of appearance, Dr. Bonnie Duran has worked in public health education, evaluation, program planning and research with Native Americans and other communities of color for 35 years. Dr. Cacari-Stone is the Principal Investigator/Executive Director of the TREE Center and just received a National Institutes of Health CEAL grant (Wide Assessment for Vaccine Equity) in collaboration with Center for Native American Health & Center for Participatory Research. Dr. Avila is Co-Director of the Community Engagement and Dissemination Core, TREE U54 Center Grant.
ANNOUNCEMENTS
Panelists needed for Sexual Gender Minority Issues in Health

The 7th annual New Mexico Sexual and Gender Minority Health Summit will take place on Saturday, November 13, 2021, at the Domenici Center. The summit attracts a wide range of healthcare, behavioral health and public health professionals, researchers, and LGBT+ community members. One of the focuses for this year’s summit is how to address issues of intersectionality in research, policy, and services effectively and appropriately.  

We are looking for a few individuals to participate on a panel who can speak to either how to assure that work focused on SGM populations reflects the diversity of SGM people (based on race/ethnicity, resources, location, (dis)ability, etc.) or how work focused on groups defined by these other types of identity can intentionally include SGM-identified members of those populations. 

If you are interested, please contact Robert Sturm by email at nmcap@yahoo.com 
EVENTS & RESOURCES
Call for Applications

Center for Ethnographic Research
University of California, Berkeley
Summer Workshop in Qualitative Methods
Offered remotely this year!
July 6 – August 13, 2021

The Center for Ethnographic Research (CER) Workshop provides mentorship, hands-on research experience, and advanced training in designing and executing a project using qualitative methods for advanced undergraduates and beginning graduate students. 
The CER Workshop will provide students with six weeks of intensive accelerated
methodological training in the design and practice of qualitative methods.
Mentorship Opportunity

Do you want to become a better mentor? If so, you can apply for this great mentorship opportunity that can help you advance your career!

Apply here for the Faculty Mentor Development Program and NIH-sponsored study.
Note: All program and study activities are conducted virtually. 

Application Deadline: Applications are being accepted through June and August 2021

Eligibility: Must be a faculty member formally or informally mentoring another faculty member. 

For further questions and information, you can contact Ashkay Sood at
asood@salud.unm.edu or click on the link provided below.
NMDOH COVID-19 Vaccine Registration
For more information and to register for your initial COVID-19 Vaccine and Booster, click here.
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