Imagine living in a community where all children, no matter which neighborhood they live in, have equitable access to high quality health care, education and social resources that lead them to live to their full potential. Despite experiencing economic growth in our region in recent decades, the racial equity gap in DC is ever-present, with Black and Latino communities disproportionally experiencing disparities in income, education, healthcare and housing. Advocacy through cross-sector collaborations is needed now more than ever to ensure that programs, policies and systems reflect the needs of our community so all children and families can thrive.

We had the privilege and honor of participating in Seeding Disruption Fellowship Cohort IX along with 23 leaders serving children and youth in DC over the past year. Seeding Disruption is a Washington, DC-based program that brings together passionate leaders who are committed to building knowledge, skills and community across racial difference and professional fields. It focuses on dismantling systemic racial inequities and building a brighter, more inclusive future for DC residents by bringing together leaders from education, healthcare and nonprofit sectors. The Seeding Disruption Fellowship was launched by The Equity Lab in 2017 to create a space for leaders working in education and other supporting sectors to rethink systems and reimagine what is possible through a racial equity lens. A dozen other leaders at Children’s National have participated in this fellowship who continue to work on innovative strategies and partnerships across sectors to advance racial equity outcomes for all children.

The fellowship is a 13-month program that includes four day-long meetings, dinners and networking events to advance our understanding of how politics and systemic racism has enabled inequities to persist in DC for generations. We completed readings and engaged in discussions on the history of DC and how it is shaped by various people and events while also sharing each other’s experiences and perspectives. We also discussed critical cross-sector issues including the impacts of segregation in education, gentrification and housing, along with children’s and maternal health outcomes through a racial lens. The fellowship also brought opportunities for members to bring to the group a specific problem of practice they are wrestling with, related to racial inequities. Through structured group discussions, individuals could receive insights and feedback on how to address a problem while group members could reflect on how they could address a similar challenge.

Seeding Disruption Cohort IX Fellows at our fourth meeting in January 2025

As we strive to be a School-Friendly Health System, we partner closely with the education sector to identify and respond to student and school needs through policy advocacy and programming. This fellowship helped us to examine our role in disrupting systems of racial inequity. We are committed to continuing to advocate for children and youth through a racial equity lens working in collaboration with the community.

When the DC Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics was crafting and disseminating a “Prescription for the District: An Initiative by DC AAP #Rx4D,” the expertise of the Seeding Disruption fellows was invaluable. The fellows are experienced in different sectors, and each had the added insights of participating in the education provided by Seeding Disruption. Bringing together fellows across all the cohorts, helped DC AAP leaders to thoughtfully design, review, and implement an ambitious advocacy platform.

Healthcare access is a small part, estimated to be only 10%, of determining someone’s overall health; the other 90% of health is a reflection of your genetics and access to a healthy environment including access to quality housing, safe drinking water, and places to play.  Because of this, we recognize how critical it is to collaborate with other organizations who are serving children and youth in our health services and community outreach efforts.

As we closed our yearlong fellowship, a fellow shared how the life cycle of asparagus plants can offer all of us inspiration for our work; asparagus plants can take at least two full seasons of growth before they can be harvested. Similar to the asparagus plant, building trusting relationships with our community takes time to seed, and we are committed to working within our organization and across sectors to build more equitable and racially just systems for all.

We give kudos and gratitude to The Equity Lab facilitators and peer fellows who challenged us to broaden our knowledge and engage in authentic conversations around the context and landscape where we work and live in DC.

For more information on Seeding Disruption, please visit their website: The Seeding Disruption Fellowship — The Equity Lab