Racial Justice Action Committee Resources

It's Up to All of Us

In response to the murder of George Floyd and to ensure that Black lives matter inside and outside the walls of Rush University System for Health, the Racial Justice Action Committee (RJAC) was launched on the 155th anniversary of Juneteenth in 2020.

View the RJAC members here. 

RJAC deepens the racial justice and health equity work that Rush has been doing in the community for years by identifying new ways that we can all work together to advance social and racial justice along with health equity inside of Rush — and beyond. In short, it invites us all to explore, learn and identify ways we all can be the change. 

Watch the video below to learn more about the Racial Justice Action Committee and the co-chairs. 

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The recommendations that came out of town halls, listening sessions and a systemwide survey will allow Rush to create C.H.A.N.G.E. using the following means:

• Communicate: Create a unified Rush DE&I statement that addresses racial justice and Rush's response.
• Hire and employ: Establish clear targets and timelines for increasing Black, Indigenous, people of color (BIPOC) in leadership roles systemwide (e.g., CEO, SVP, VP, AVP, directors and managers, faculty appointments academic leadership and Board)
• Align: Conduct a systemwide review of all Rush policies that govern employment, compensation, culture and consequences as it pertains to racialized impacts from said policies.
• Navigate: Create a system of people, policies and resources (e.g., departments, funding, legal assistants, etc.) to navigate patients, students, employees and others on campus to social work/mental health interventions as needed instead of security/policing interventions 
• Generate: Collect and incorporate restorative justice practices and principles into our internal departments' existing conflict management and team-building trainings and processes. 
• Educate: Create a process for ensuring that current DE&I/HR trainings and HR are racial-equity aligned and inclusive and develop new trainings on anti-racism, unconscious biases, cultural competence, allyship and racial justice as needed. 

View the full Racial Justice Action Committee recommendations here.

Watch the Racial Justice Action Committee Town Hall  about the recommendations here. 

Rush DE&I and Racial Justice and Equity Commitment Statement

To make sure that we are remaining true and committed to the work, RJAC, along with members of the Rush Diversity Leadership Council and the Rush BMO Institute for Health Equity devised a commitment statement.

At Rush University System for Health, we are committed to establishing a climate that:

• Honors and respects our differences
• Delivers fair treatment and equitable access to care, opportunities and resources for patients, staff, students and​ faculty​
• Actively engages and partners with Rush internal and external communities as leaders and decision-makers in the work
• Advances racial justice and equity by dismantling barriers, righting injustices, being actively anti-racist and promoting equity in health care, in learning, in research and in our communities across the Rush system