Public health experts claim that less than 30 percent of an individual’s health is impacted by medical-specific actions taken. So, what about the other 70 percent? Research suggests that the socio-political structures and systems that shape lived experience directly impact the remaining portion of an individual’s health. These systems impact health outcomes through the quality of air, water, food, and education, along with access to safe mobility, secure wages, leisure, and green spaces, among other factors. In a city known for segregation, what does this mean for Chicagoans?

Join WTTW and the Metropolitan Planning Council for a panel conversation that will explore the inequities and health disparities that plague regional communities as a result of segregation, along with highlighting solutions that aim to foster a future of health equity for all residents. Metropolitan Planning Council President and CEO Darlene Hightower will moderate a live conversation with David Ansell, MD, MPH, Rush System and author of The Death Gap; Megan Cunningham, Managing Deputy Commissioner of the Chicago Department of Public Health; and Debra Wesley, Founder, CEO, & President of Sinai Community Institute.  

FIRSTHAND: SEGREGATION is part of WTTW's award-winning FIRSTHAND multiplatform, multi-year initiative focusing on the firsthand perspectives of people facing critical issues in Chicago. Visit the website (wttw.com/firsthand) to explore all the elements of the project.

Lead support for FIRSTHAND:  Segregation is provided by Ann and Rich Carr.

Major support is also provided by the Jim and Kay Mabie Family; The Abe and Ida Cooper Foundation; Edwardson Family Foundation, in memory of Ed Marciniak; The Harry and Jeanette Weinberg Foundation; Denny and Sandy Cummings; Philip and Rene Alphonse; Lewis Collens and Nancy Sindelar; The Duncan Family; The Joseph & Bessie Feinberg Foundation; Larry and Mary Mages; Marc and Jeanne Malnati Family Foundation; Rande and Cary McMillan; and Neal Gerber Eisenberg, in honor of Scott Fisher (as of January 17, 2022).