Statement of Purpose

Evidence-based gun violence prevention (GVP) policy reduces firearms-related injury and death by applying research to craft and implement effective policy. This effort to make communities safer must consider and seek to minimize potential unintended outcomes that might negatively impact historically marginalized groups. Making significant impacts in health equity outcomes requires multi-stakeholder engagement. Research forms the foundation of evidence-based interventions and should consider racial equity as it concerns subsequent applications of the work.

Methods/Approach

The Educational Fund to Stop Gun Violence (Ed Fund) is a GVP think tank and advocacy organization. We developed a racial equity framework that includes committing ourselves to identifying and addressing inequities across GVP policy and programs as well as evaluating our own organization. We work closely with researchers and encourage a racial equity framework across all areas of work in GVP policy.

Results

The Ed Fund: began applying our racial equity framework and process for policy-related work; engaged external consultants for assistance in the review and implementation of our framework; provided initial racial equity training for our staff and board; created a blog series highlighting the gun violence epidemic in communities disproportionately affected by gun violence; applied findings in policy development work with researchers.

Conclusions

A racial equity framework will help mitigate potentially harmful inequities in GVP, and instead will promote social justice.

Significance/Contributions

Equity is an established and necessary component of public health that has received little attention in GVP. The Ed Fund’s self-evaluation, training, and development/application of a racial equity framework for GVP provides guidance and context for researchers, advocates, partner organizations, and policymakers to consider and advance in their own work. This framework is modifiable for a variety of violence and injury topics.

Yasmin Fletcher

Publications