Horizon Foundation Launches Website Exploring Racism In HoCo

HOWARD COUNTY, MD — The Columbia-based Horizon Foundation has launched a website devoted to exploring the ways racism and other barriers affect the health and well being of African Americans in Howard County. The new resource features the voices of prominent Black leaders in the community and offers residents the tools to take action to promote policy change, attend racial equity training, learn how racism affects health, register to vote and complete the 2020 census.

“Our country and our communities are reeling from two crises – the COVID-19 pandemic and racial injustice – and both are disproportionately harming communities of color, especially Black communities,” said Greg Olaniran, chair of the Horizon Foundation’s board of trustees, in a statement. “We encourage everyone in Howard County to use these resources and get involved in our collective work to eliminate barriers to good health, provide opportunities for people of color and to make Howard County a more just, equitable and healthy place to live and work.”

Within the past several months, the foundation has worked with a wide range of African American leaders to share their perspectives about racism and its impact on areas such as safety, chronic stress, health care, education, access to healthy food and more. The new online resource is "committed to elevating the voices of these leaders, igniting conversations about these important topics and encouraging Howard County residents to take action to change policies and systems that perpetuate racial inequity."

“The challenge will be for us to continue to push forward for change – systemic change, real change, not just change for the moment,” said Pastor Larry Walker, president of the African American Community Roundtable of Howard County, in a recorded video for the project.

Visit the website and take action at https://equity.thehorizonfoundation.org/.