Dear LHAB members,
We are certain that you are as moved as we are by the social unrest in our city overlaid on the tensions already in place from COVID. COVID has magnified the importance of addressing health care access, isolation and inequities, and COVID has further highlighted the effects of systemic racism in our society. If that were not enough, the unfortunate inhumane racial acts and the needless loss of lives have further escalated those tensions. The protests and other acts of violence have the nation’s attention and it is beyond time for meaningful change and genuine reconciliation.
The Louisville Health Advisory Board (LHAB) is not an organization nor a business. It is a group of caring community leaders who are concerned enough to voluntarily convene to address the health and the future of this community and take action. We’ve been open and welcoming to the voices of those committed to improving this community we call home. We’ve learned that collective impact is hard but we’ve seen decisions made efficiently and initiatives implemented effectively. We have the courage to fail and the humility to learn from each other. This is the proud legacy of the Louisville Health Advisory Board.
We recognize this work is hard but we also know that you’ve not quit working. Going forward, we ask that the LHAB focus on how we can use our collective to influence policy, and reach out and invite community members to engage in the work. As leaders of the LHAB we commit to providing opportunities to educate the collective on the inequities resulting from systemic racism, how to affect policy change, and encourage the hard conversations that are necessary to have in order for us to heal.
Today, on what should have been Breonna Taylor’s 27th birthday, we wanted to reach out to the collective and share our thoughts on current events in our city and the world. We do not pretend to have answers but we are confident as a collective, that we do have the resources needed to change. We encourage you to remain connected to each other and share your learning. As leaders of the LHAB, we will look to you to tell us how we can best use, share and leverage our precious and scarce resources in new ways. To that end, we will be thinking and planning what role we can play as we convene virtually or as the environment allows. We welcome your advisement. Thank you for your tenacity and your friendship.
Louisville Health Advisory Board Leadership