On June 1, 2020, Reginald L. Robinson, president and CEO of the Kansas Health Foundation, released the following statement regarding the tragic death of George Floyd in Minneapolis, Minn, on May 25, 2020:
“At critical moments, powerful flashpoints shine a stark, unforgiving, and incendiary light that brings focus to change we must produce, injustice we must redress, and systems we must fundamentally reform. The tragic killing of George Floyd constitutes such a flashpoint, laying bare the racial disparities that operate within our criminal justice system. Unfortunately, that system is not alone. COVID-19 has put an ugly spotlight on how those same racial disparities permeate our health systems and produce stunningly inequitable health outcomes.
These inequities are reflected in too many of our systems and institutions. Our state is not immune. Powerful flashpoints like those shocking us today, compel us all to redouble our work in communities across Kansas. We must confront and address the racism, brutality, and disregard that cut unmistakably across all of the domains – justice, health, education, work – that touch our lives and profoundly affect the quality of those lives. Our commitment to the health of all Kansans requires that we pursue this work with vigor, and compels us to affirm that Black Lives Matter.”
###
The Kansas Health Foundation (KHF) is a nonprofit organization based in Wichita but statewide in its focus. At KHF, all our work centers on our mission: to improve the health of all Kansans. As part of a new strategic framework, developed by our staff and board of directors, KHF also strives to accomplish three primary purposes: empower Kansas to lead the nation in health; eliminate the inequities that create health disparities; and, for KHF to become THE model for philanthropic impact.
Learn more about the latest Foundation news, grant opportunities, stories and health articles by signing up for KHF’s e-newsletters. Join today!