The American Herbalists Guild (AHG) stands in solidarity with our health care and herbal community in opposition to the institutional racism, discrimination, and violence that has plagued the country for so long. We mourn the death of George Floyd and many others who have fallen at the hands of injustice and intolerance.The bias and discrimination present in our society makes its way into our local communities as well, hurting vulnerable populations, particularly black communities. Black communities continue to experience disproportionately high mortality related to childbirth, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, obesity, cancer, and now from the COVID pandemic. In some communities, that disparity also extends itself to access to care and education from the herbal community.Racism and discrimination in any setting – whether health care, law enforcement, or any other – is unacceptable.
Like other members of our herbal community, we are committed to the conversations and actions needed to bring about much-needed change and equity.As an organization who genuinely cares, we feel a strong responsibility to go beyond talking about diversity, equity, and inclusion to creating meaningful change within our herbal community. As a membership organization, we must have greater diversity at every level of leadership and participation. The path forward is not entirely clear yet we are committed to determine specific and attainable goals of inclusivity for our organization. In the coming months, the governing council of the AHG will be working to craft these goals, seek feedback, and prioritize their attainment. We welcome all voices to the table and ask our herbal community to provide accountability for our actions.
The Governing Council of the American Herbalists Guild
The American Herbalists Guild (AHG) stands in solidarity with our health care and herbal community in opposition to the institutional racism, discrimination, and violence that has plagued the country for so long. We mourn the death of George Floyd and many others who have fallen at the hands of injustice and intolerance.The bias and discrimination present in our society makes its way into our local communities as well, hurting vulnerable populations, particularly black communities. Black communities continue to experience disproportionately high mortality related to childbirth, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, obesity, cancer, and now from the COVID pandemic. In some communities, that disparity also extends itself to access to care and education from the herbal community.Racism and discrimination in any setting – whether health care, law enforcement, or any other – is unacceptable.
Like other members of our herbal community, we are committed to the conversations and actions needed to bring about much-needed change and equity.As an organization who genuinely cares, we feel a strong responsibility to go beyond talking about diversity, equity, and inclusion to creating meaningful change within our herbal community. As a membership organization, we must have greater diversity at every level of leadership and participation. The path forward is not entirely clear yet we are committed to determine specific and attainable goals of inclusivity for our organization. In the coming months, the governing council of the AHG will be working to craft these goals, seek feedback, and prioritize their attainment. We welcome all voices to the table and ask our herbal community to provide accountability for our actions.
The Governing Council of the American Herbalists Guild