Where do we go from here?” Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. posed this question in his 1967 book of the same title, in which he reflected on the state of America following a decade of struggle for civil rights. He called for a shift in American society towards greater economic justice, without which there could be no true progress towards equality. Over 50 years later, this is once again one of the most critical questions our generation faces. We are in the midst of multiple overlapping crises that impact human health and wellbeing –the COVID-19 pandemic, racial and systemic injustices, and worsening climate change, to name a few. As such, governments, institutions, and communities are facing a crossroads; we can either maintain the status quo, or radically change the way we do things. With the current increased focus on public health and equity, we are in a unique position to uproot and reconstruct our health systems. The conference theme, Revolutionary Healing and Rebuilding, recognizes that the first step in transforming systems and structures is to acknowledge past and present traumas of systemic racism. As we learn from today to transform tomorrow, we must recognize the pressing need to take lessons from our current situation and act now to build a better, more equitable future. This year’s conference seeks to provide a space to acknowledge the wounds of systemic racism, reflect on the structural challenges and barriers to health equity, and advance the work being done to sow seeds that will grow into more equitable systems for tomorrow. We hope that the theme, Revolutionary Healing and Rebuilding, will renew, inspire, and empower us all to reimagine the future of our communities.

Theme Announcement