We Don't All Have a Fair Shot at Wellbeing, But We Should

While our drive for wellbeing is universal, we don’t all have the same access

Because inequities are baked into our systems, it’s easier for some people to access wellbeing than others. Access to wellbeing is structurally inequitable due to racism, sexism, homophobia, ableism and other oppressions. The result is deep inequities and gaps in thriving. We see examples of this everywhere – to name just a few:

There is a massive racial wealth gap and gender wealth gap in the United States
Your zip code is one of the best determinants of how long you will live, far more than your genes or your health behaviors
Black Americans are incarcerated in state prisons at nearly five times the rate of whites
Low-income communities feel the effects of climate change and heat waves more acutely than wealthier neighborhoods

The problem is systemic, not personal.

The U.S. should be a country where everyone has a fair shot at wellbeing

But let’s be real: that’s not the case. Cutting off people’s access to wellbeing is a core driver of inequity, deepening cycles of poverty, violence, trauma and oppression. And a lot of what we all think is helping may be making things worse.

How are our systems contributing to inequitable access to wellbeing? Watch this video to learn more:

To begin changing things we must start with the recognition that the system is rigged.

The solution isn’t just to create more programs for people harmed by these unfair systems. The solution is to reimagine these systems to make our country fairer and more equitable for everyone.
”

- Katya Fels Smyth, FFI's Founder & CEO

What would it look like if everyone had a fair shot at wellbeing?

The color of your skin, the zip code of your birth, the God you worship and other demographics wouldn’t be the reliable predictors of life outcomes and day-to-day safety that they are now.
Systems that have historically divided and contained — child welfare, criminal justice, even homelessness and domestic violence — would be far less needed. When needed, they would be on-ramps to wellbeing.
Kids wouldn’t be suspended from preschool. Kids wouldn’t grow up in group homes or cages or prisons. After all, parents in poverty love their kids just as much as parents in affluence.

And much, much more. Want to learn the first steps toward making these things happen? Try our Wellbeing Bootcamp for an introduction to how you can change systems with wellbeing at the center.

Explore the next framework

We don’t all have a fair shot

While our drive for wellbeing is universal, we don’t all have the same access

The U.S. should be a country where everyone has a fair shot at wellbeing

To begin changing things we must start with the recognition that the system is rigged.

The solution isn’t just to create more programs for people harmed by these unfair systems. The solution is to reimagine these systems to make our country fairer and more equitable for everyone.
”

- Katya Fels Smyth, FFI's Founder & CEO

What would it look like if everyone had a fair shot at wellbeing?

Making chance is hard, sustaining change is harder.

We don’t all have a fair shot

While our drive for wellbeing is universal, we don’t all have the same access

The U.S. should be a country where everyone has a fair shot at wellbeing

To begin changing things we must start with the recognition that the system is rigged. The solution isn’t just to create more programs for people harmed by these unfair systems. The solution is to reimagine these systems to make our country fairer and more equitable for everyone.”

- Katya Fels Smyth, FFI's Founder & CEO

What would it look like if everyone had a fair shot at wellbeing?

Making chance is hard, sustaining change is harder.

To begin changing things we must start with the recognition that the system is rigged.

The solution isn’t just to create more programs for people harmed by these unfair systems. The solution is to reimagine these systems to make our country fairer and more equitable for everyone.
”