Last year Buncombe County’s Board of Commissioners declared that racism is a public health and safety crisis. Earlier this summer, the Board voted unanimously to pass a Racial Equity Plan that calls for measurable improvements in the health, education, income, criminal justice outcomes, and other life experiences of Black residents. In her letter introducing the plan, Buncombe County Manager Avril Pinder wrote, “The success of this plan is contingent on Buncombe County leadership, employees and residents connecting to this work…together, we will grow as champions, teachers, and connectors for equity.” It takes a village, right?
For our part, Age-Friendly Buncombe aims to ensure aging services demonstrate respect, equity, and inclusion for all older adults, regardless of race, gender identity, sexual orientation, or any other protected status (Age-Friendly Buncombe Action Item 8.3). One exciting opportunity to do this work is the YWCA of Asheville’s upcoming 21-day Racial Equity and Social Justice Challenge, which will begin next week, on Monday September 6th, and continue (Monday—Friday) through October 1st.
The challenge is designed to create dedicated time and space to build more effective social justice habits, particularly those dealing with issues of race, power, privilege, and leadership. Participants who sign up for the Challenge will receive daily tasks via email to help foster their understanding and awareness, with activities such as reading an article, listening to a podcast, or reflecting on personal experience. I signed up and encourage you to do the same! Furthermore, as you take the 21-day Challenge, I challenge you to consider the role aging plays in this work.
According to the 2020 Census, 16.6% of Buncombe County residents are Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) and 20.1% are over age 65. While informative, these data beg further questions: What percentage of our older adult residents are BIPOC? How does aging intersect with race and ethnicity in our community? When we talk about respect, equity, and inclusion does that include older adults?
To begin to understand some of the answers, Age-Friendly Buncombe has established the Buncombe BIPOC Elders Study Group. This project aims to study the experiences of BIPOC Elders (age 50+) in Asheville/Buncombe County. Specifically, we aim to gain understanding of the unique health and aging concerns, and experiences with the healthcare and community service systems with this population. This knowledge is critical to being able to effectively close health disparities gaps for BIPOC elders and create accessible, equitable, and inclusive services. The result of this project will help identify priorities and strategies for this work.
For more information or to become involved with the BIPOC Elders Study Group, email age-friendly@buncombecounty.org.
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