Academy Celebrates Juneteenth

The Academy celebrates Juneteenth — a federal holiday honoring this day in 1865 when troops arrived in Galveston, Texas, to ensure that all enslaved people were to be freed. Understanding and acknowledging the historical significance of Juneteenth demonstrates a commitment to cultural competency and inclusivity. By recognizing this important milestone in African American history, health professionals can better comprehend the intergenerational impact of slavery on health disparities and the unique health care needs of this population.

Moreover, acquiring knowledge about African American communities helps establish trust and rapport between health professionals and their patients. It shows a genuine commitment to understanding the experiences, values and perspectives of African Americans, fostering an environment that encourages open communication and patient engagement. Ultimately, by embracing cultural competence and a comprehensive understanding of African American communities, health professionals can deliver equitable and effective care, promoting better health outcomes for all individuals.

Academy Inclusion, Diversity, Equity and Access

The Academy encourages inclusion, diversity, equity and access (IDEA) by striving to recognize, respect and include differences in ability, age, creed, culture, ethnicity, gender, gender identity, political affiliation, race, religion, sexual orientation, size, and socioeconomic characteristics in the nutrition and dietetics profession. Note: While a comprehensive list of resources is presented, many of these resources are member benefits and member login is required to access full content.

Eat Well, Live Well, Be Well Toolkit

Providing print and media resources that can be used in faith-based health ministries on issues such as diabetes, obesity, high blood pressure, heart disease, stroke, eating on a budget and living with kidney disease, the Eat Well, Live Well, Be Well toolkit for Academy members was developed as part of a strategic partnership between the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics and the National Baptist Convention USA (NBCUSA), to make use of their respective resources to pursue the goal of reducing health disparities for African Americans.

Continuing Education Opportunities on eatrightSTORE.org

Discover a wealth of resources promoting cultural competency, equity, diversity and inclusion in the field of nutrition through this selection of webinars, books and on-demand session recordings with an emphasis on African American communities.

• Black Dietitians Matter: Addressing Inequities and Exploring Strategies for Increasing Blacks in Nutrition and Dietetics
• Building Inclusive Leadership Skills to Advance Equity at Any Level
• Body Image and Cultural Compassion: Reimagining Nutrition Intervention
• Building Bridges, Overcoming Biases, Communicating Effectively
• Conscious Dietetics Practice: Assessing Dietetics (White) Privilege and Confronting Racism
• Cultural Competency for Nutrition Professionals
• Cultural Sensitivity: Moving Beyond Awareness to Provide Inclusive and Equitable Care
• Exploring Programmatic and Policy-based Initiatives to Address Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Within the Older Americans Act Nutrition Program
• Food Travels: The Nutrition Transition In Africa and Implications for African Immigrant Health
• Right Size for Me — Health Professional's Edition
• Leveraging Partnerships to Improve Nutrition Education Programs for Disadvantaged Communities
• Promoting Diversity in Dietetic Education Programs by Creating an Inclusive Environment