Confronting Systemic Racism and Inequity
Helene Gayle, Jonathan Metzl, and Andrea Zopp joined Ertharin Cousin for a panel discussion examining the racial disparities within health care, education, the economy, and the criminal justice system.
About This Event
Protests have erupted nationwide over the death of George Floyd, an unarmed Black man who died at the hands of Minneapolis police. For many Americans, his murder is the tipping point in an especially difficult year, amidst a pandemic and economic crisis that has disproportionately affected the Black community. In most cases, the uprisings are the result of generations of frustration, despair, and indignity imposed by pervasive injustice and systemic inequity. Join the Council for a panel discussion that will explore the racial disparities within health care, education, the economy, and the criminal justice system. Is our country listening and willing to make changes?
About the Speakers
Helene Gayle
President and Chief Executive Officer, The Chicago Community Trust
Helene Gayle, MD is president and chief executive officer of The Chicago Community Trust, one of the nation’s leading community foundations. The Trust works with donors, nonprofits, community leaders, and residents to lead philanthropic efforts that improve the quality of life in Chicago. Previously, Gayle was CEO of McKinsey Social Initiative, a nonprofit that builds partnerships for social impact.
Jonathan Metzl
Professor of Sociology and Psychiatry, Vanderbilt University
Andrea Zopp
President and CEO, World Business Chicago
Andrea Zopp is the President and CEO of World Business Chicago, where she leads the organization’s mission of inclusive economic growth, supporting businesses, and promoting Chicago as a leading global city. Most recently, she served as Deputy Mayor, Chief Neighborhood Development Officer for the City of Chicago.
Distinguished Fellow, Global Food and Agriculture
Prior to joining the Council, Ertharin Cousin served as executive director of the UN World Food Programme where she led the world’s largest humanitarian organization from 2012 to 2017. She also previously served as US ambassador to the UN Agencies for Food and Agriculture in Rome. Cousin is founder and CEO of Food Systems for the Future.