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ETR Blog

Check out what our people and partners are researching, thinking, reading, writing, watching and doing! (Note: The opinions expressed are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of ETR as an agency.)


Black in the Future
February 27, 2024

Black in the Future

By Michael Everett, MHS, EdD | February 29, 2024
Chief People and Culture Officer, ETR

Often, when we think of Black History Month, we are prompted to consider the greatness of Blackness in the past. Honoring the past is essential, especially considering some of the erasure of Black people, histories, and experiences emphasized over the last few years. We must also continue to chart the path for what we intend for it to mean to be Black in the future. In our constant effort to combat anti-Black racism and institutionalize our values, ETR leadership continues the progress by commissioning the Black to the Future (BTF) ETR workgroup.

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Representation and Empowerment: Amplifying Californian Voices for Native American Heritage Month
November 16, 2023

Representation and Empowerment: Amplifying Californian Voice for Native American Heritage Month

By Ravena Soto | November 16, 2023
Project Coordinator - Tribal Community Coordinating Center, ETR

California is home to 109 federally recognized Tribes, yet many residents are unfamiliar with the plethora of unique cultures that surround them. The Indian gaming industry has created visibility but has not rectified misperceptions. In many circumstances, it has contributed to new misunderstandings. The very concept of contemporary California Tribal people navigating the complexities of modern life is hard for many to comprehend.

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How Research Organizations Avoid Conflict of Interest
August 31, 2023

How Research Organizations Avoid Conflict of Interest

By The ETR Team | August 31, 2023

When it comes to evaluating and disseminating research, many organizations will often play multiple roles in the process. For example, in the field of public health, organizations may develop a new product or curriculum, serve as the evaluator to test the effectiveness, or take the lead in disseminating the findings or product to a large-scale audience. In any of these roles, there is a potential for real or perceived conflicts of interest.

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What I Learned at Women Deliver 2023: Dismantling Barriers to Youth Sexual and Reproductive Health Care
August 25, 2023

What I Learned at Women Deliver 2023: Dismantling Barriers to Youth Sexual and Reproductive Health Care

By Sarah Han, MPH | August 25, 2023
Youth-Centered Health Designer, ETR

Young people face multiple challenges in accessing sexual and reproductive health (SRH) services, with stigma from providers and staff and compromised confidentiality and privacy as key barriers. Learn more about Sarah Han's experiences as a part of a globally representative advisory group of young professionals at Women Deliver 2023 in Rwanda for the Measuring Youth Sexual and Reproductive Health (MY SRH) Initiative led by Metrics for Management.

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May the Fourth: Embracing a Galaxy of Choice and Change
May 4, 2023

May the Fourth: Embracing a Galaxy of Choice and Change

By Vignetta Charles, PhD | May 4, 2023
Chief Executive Officer, ETR

May the Fourth, an annual celebration of the Star Wars franchise, is a day where fans around the world like me show our appreciation for this amazing body of work. Like Star Wars, we’ll continue innovating and providing science-based solutions in support of youth, families, and communities in a variety of formats.

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2022: On Gratitude, Partnership, and Health Equity
December 20, 2022

2022: On Gratitude, Partnership, and Health Equity

By Vignetta Charles, PhD | December 20, 2022
Chief Executive Officer, ETR

As we close out 2022, ETR wants to extend our gratitude to YOU for your partnership! Over the past year, we worked with you through education, training, and research to develop science-based solutions to advance health equity. Through our collective work, we ensured that science-based health information was available to schools and communities nationwide and across the globe.

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Welcome Madhuri Jha, Vice President of Science, Equity, and Integration
December 9, 2022

Welcome Madhuri Jha, Vice President of Science, Equity, and Integration

By The ETR Team | December 9, 2022

ETR is thrilled to announce that Madhuri Jha, MPH, LCSW (she/hers) will join our team as the new Vice President of Science, Equity, and Integration! ETR is looking forward to Ms. Jha joining our mission-driven efforts to improve health and increase opportunities for youth, families, and communities

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Native Voices, Native Stories: On Truth for Native American Heritage Month 2022
November 1, 2022

Native Voices, Native Stories: On Truth for Native American Heritage Month 2022

By Ravena Soto | November 1, 2022
Project Coordinator - Tribal Community Coordinating Center, ETR

Each November is recognized as Native American Heritage Month in the United States, marking a time to celebrate the rich cultures and diverse people descended from the original inhabitants of these lands. Native stories and contributions are plentiful, but they are often omitted or modified to fit a more acceptable narrative. Native people are inseparable from our nation's past, present, and future, and their exclusion is our collective loss. This month, and every month, provides an opportunity to learn and understand the impacts of misrepresentation and erasure.

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We're in This Fight: Access to Safe, Legal Abortion
May 5, 2022

We're in This Fight: Access to Safe, Legal Abortion

By The ETR Team | May 5, 2022 (Updated June 24, 2022)

Access to safe, legal abortion is at critical risk. In the next few months, 26 states could vote to ban abortion, putting in place insurmountable barriers to abortion services for over 36 million women and people who can become pregnant, which can have a profound lasting impact. We’re in this fight and are prepared to be an active, engaged partner in creating a culture that mirrors our mission, vision, and values.

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May the Fourth: An Annual Reflection on Work and Life at ETR
May 4, 2022

May the Fourth: An Annual Reflection on Work and Life at ETR

By Vignetta Charles, PhD | May 4, 2022
Chief Executive Officer, ETR

It’s May the Fourth again when Star Wars fans like me celebrate the franchise. This feels like a terrible time to celebrate when there are ongoing active threats to health care and human rights. And still, if we don’t pause to think strategically, we may well repeat mistakes and challenges of the past. On this day, I will still take the opportunity to think about how this prolific franchise causes me to reflect on life and leadership. This reflection is not intended to dismiss my grief and anger, but because it will help fuel my fire to continue on in this fight for health equity. Fueling me today is the newest installment in the Star Wars franchise, The Book of Boba Fett, and how it has helped me think about our past and progress toward the future.

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Black History Month at ETR: A Note from Our Chief People & Culture Officer
February 9, 2022

Black History Month at ETR: A Note from Our Chief People & Culture Officer

By Michael Everett, MHS, EdD | February 9, 2022
Chief People and Culture Officer, ETR

Happy Black History Month (BHM) from ETR! Formally, this annual celebration started as Black History Week and was pioneered by Carter G. Woodson (1875-1950). A Black Virginian sharecropper turned international educator, Woodson would not have his dream fully embraced until 25 years after his death. By 1975, every US president starting with Gerald Ford would officially recognize Black History as an opportunity to celebrate a neglected part of American History. In addition, the celebration highlights the essential role of Black Americans in building the United States from its colonial beginning.

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Native American Heritage Month and ETR's Land Acknowledgment
November 23, 2021

Native American Heritage Month and ETR's Land Acknowledgment

By Nasbah Ben | November 23, 2021
Director of Tribal Programs, ETR

As a non-profit organization that advances health equity, we can not address health equity among Native American Tribes in California and beyond without first acknowledging that they are the original inhabitants of the land where our offices are located.

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LGBTQ+ History Month Past, Present, and Future with Morey Riordan
October 28, 2021

LGBTQ+ History Month Past, Present, and Future with Morey Riordan

By Vignetta Charles, PhD and Morey Riordan | October 28, 2021
CEO, ETR and Founding Director, Transgender Strategy Center

As an organization committed to advancing health equity, ETR is dedicated to honoring the contributions, history, and evolving health equity topics of LGBTQ+ communities across the globe. In honor of LGBTQ+ History Month, ETR’s CEO Vignetta Charles chats with Morey Riordan, Founding Director of the Transgender Strategy Center, on the past, present, and future of LGBTQ+ History Month in the US.

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ETR Turns 40 Years Young
June 3, 2021

ETR Turns 40 Years Young

By Vignetta Charles, PhD | June 3, 2021
Chief Executive Officer, ETR

Milestone birthdays that are associated with middle age can also be associated with a youthful time of awakening. We can say the same about ETR—we’re celebrating our 40th! We are entering our middle age with the wisdom that comes from four decades, while also awakening a new phase for us with the excitement and curiosity and rapid change of adolescence.

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May the 4th: Star Wars and the Evolution of Diversity and Inclusion
May 4, 2021

May the 4th: Star Wars and the Evolution of Diversity and Inclusion

By Vignetta Charles, PhD | May 4, 2021
Chief Executive Officer, ETR

It was a lazy Sunday, and we were watching Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back. My 10-year-old, like every other kid his age, is always looking to see themselves represented in the content we consume. He turned to me and asked, “Why aren’t there that many diverse people in this Star Wars movie?”

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ETR's Statement in Support of Asian American and Pacific Islander Communities
March 17, 2021

ETR's Statement in Support of Asian American and Pacific Islander Communities

By ETR Leadership Team | March 17, 2021

As an agency committed to advancing equity, ETR is speaking out against the increase in hate crimes targeting Asian American and Pacific Islanders (AAPI). While these recent attacks have drawn national attention, inflammatory rhetoric and disparaging or violent acts against these communities are, unfortunately, nothing new. This surge is the latest in a long and often overlooked history of racist acts inflicted on AAPI individuals, families, and businesses—ranging from subtle, pervasive microaggressions to overt verbal and physical attacks. 

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2020: Lessons in Unlearning and Learning
December 21, 2020

2020: Lessons in Unlearning and Learning

By Vignetta Charles, PhD | December 21, 2020
Chief Executive Officer, ETR

In the before time, ETR’s end of year message was usually focused on positive reflections about the year. Well, 2020 has not been a normal year. So it’s fitting that we’ve spent most of this year focused on unlearning. We’ve devoted time and energy into assessing what behaviors and patterns are not useful during a year of constant and unexpected change. We have focused on actively working to unlearn those patterns and behaviors and learn some new ones around scheduling, connection, sustaining racial justice efforts, and prioritizing wellness.

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World AIDS Day Resilience and Impact: Health Equity at the Core
December 1, 2020

World AIDS Day Resilience and Impact: Health Equity at the Core

By Vignetta Charles, PhD | December 1, 2020
Chief Executive Officer, ETR

December 1st marks Worlds AIDS Day and this year’s theme is Resilience and Impact. In ETR’s nearly 40-year history addressing HIV/AIDS, we have been committed partners in the fight to end the epidemic. We have witnessed the resilience of people living with HIV as well as the impact of the work to end HIV — particularly the work that centers the voices of communities most impacted.

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Honoring Contemporary Native Art and Culture for Native American Heritage Month 2020
November 30, 2020

Honoring Contemporary Native Art and Culture for Native American Heritage Month 2020

By Calvin Hedrick, MA | November 30, 2020
TCCC Project Coordinator, ETR

Each November marks the annual Native American Heritage Month — celebrating rich and diverse cultures, traditions, and histories as well as acknowledging the important contributions of Native people. In honor of this year's Native American Heritage Month, Calvin Hedrick shares a few of his recommendations for significant pieces of contemporary culture and art from Native artists and creatives.

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Transgender Day of Remembrance 2020
November 20, 2020

Transgender Day of Remembrance 2020

By Tatyana Moaton, MBA-HRM | November 20, 2020
Consultant/Subject Matter Expert, ETR

Transgender Day of Remembrance (TDOR) is recognized each year on November 20th. This year, Tatyana Moaton shares her reflections on the purpose of TDOR and the critical importance of uplifting trans voices, leadership, and communities.

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