Working Toward Social Justice

Health disparities research encompasses a complex web of areas of cross-disciplinary expertise from fields such as health policy, public health, economics, sociology, psychology, anthropology, communications, genetics, biology, environmental science, ethics, and law. Dissemination of health disparities research is paramount to educating and training professionals, academics, community leaders, students and others about the subject area, and providing them with the necessary tools to affect change and eliminate health disparities. This paper chronicles the development of a unique health disparities and social justice research educational program held annually by The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center, Center for Research on Minority Health. The program is composed of a college semester course and summer workshop, which in the past five years, has become a preeminent program in the United States. The program's impetus, premise, evaluation, and future directions are discussed.