News & Articles

Monique Doward

Duluth has always been a city shaped by resilience. It is a place where neighbors shovel each other’s sidewalks after a storm and where community ties remain strong even through difficult times.

Yet today, many families continue to face barriers that make daily life harder than it should be. From food insecurity and environmental health risks to unequal access to care, these challenges affect us all, but they fall heaviest on African Heritage, Native American, Latino, and low-income households.

As a member of the NAACP Health and Equity Committee, I have seen how these issues intersect and why collective action is urgently needed. At their core, they are not just public health problems — they are equity problems.

If we want a healthier Duluth, we must be willing to confront the policies, systems, and practices that leave too many people behind.

Food justice: Progress and gaps

This year brought encouraging progress at the state level. Minnesota’s 2025 budget included a $12 million investment in food assistance programs: $5 million for regional food banks, $5 million for local food shelves, $1 million for prepared meals, and $1 million to support American Indian food sovereignty initiatives.

Investments were also made in senior nutrition programs, which are vital not only for ensuring older adults receive balanced meals but also for providing opportunities to connect with others. Programs like Farm-to-School and Early Care were funded as well, strengthening the connection between local agriculture and healthy meals for our children.

These victories are worth celebrating, but they do not erase the reality on the ground in Duluth.

Federal SNAP benefits remain limited. Grocery prices continue to climb. And for many of our neighbors — especially seniors, people with disabilities, and families without reliable transportation — access to a full-service grocery store is still out of reach.

That is why food justice must be at the center of local conversations. Everyone deserves access to food that supports their nutritional needs. Yet harmful policies of the past and present continue to exclude many.

As we approach city council and school board elections, Duluth residents have a powerful opportunity to demand better. Voters should press candidates to explain how they will support food security, address transportation barriers and help families keep food on the table despite rising costs.

Environmental justice: Breathing room for all

Just as food security shapes health, so too does the environment in which we live. Duluth has made progress on lead line replacement, with work completed or underway in neighborhoods such as Sixth Avenue East and 27th Avenue West. This is an important step in ensuring families are not exposed to harmful contaminants in their drinking water.

But the challenges are not behind us. Increasingly, Duluth residents are facing days of poor air quality due to smoke events, often with little guidance about where to go for clean indoor air.

Some in the community have suggested that the city consider an ordinance designating safe air spaces during smoke or heat emergencies, with funding set aside for masks or other protective measures. These are common sense steps that could save lives, particularly for vulnerable groups like children, the elderly and those living with respiratory illnesses.

Environmental justice means recognizing that not all communities bear the same risks.

Low-income and minority neighborhoods are often the hardest hit by environmental hazards. Addressing these inequities requires policy, not just hope. Duluth must ensure that all of its residents have access to clean air, clean water, and safe spaces in times of crisis.

Health equity: Representation and access

Equity also means ensuring access to health care that reflects the community it serves. This fall, the NAACP Health and Equity Committee partnered with Essentia Health, the Anika Foundation, and the Family Freedom Center on a Breast Cancer Awareness event. The goal is simple but critical: reduce barriers to mammogram access by bringing screenings to accessiblevspaces and ensuring Black physicians and survivors are present to speak.

Representation matters in medicine. Too often, women of color face higher risks and poorer outcomes in breast cancer because of delayed detection and systemic barriers. By holding community-based events, we can bridge those gaps. Early detection saves lives, and community support ensures no one faces the journey alone.

I encourage readers to attend these events, spread the word, and support local Black-owned businesses that will participate. Health care is not just about treatment — it is about connection, trust and empowerment.

Independent living and disability advocacy

Health equity also means advocating for those whose voices are too often overlooked: people living with disabilities.

As a member of the Minnesota Statewide Independent Living Council (MNSILC), I work alongside others to expand opportunities for independent living. Disability is not a niche issue — it is a reality that many of us may face temporarily or permanently at some point in our lives.

Independent living is about dignity, autonomy and choice. It means ensuring people with disabilities have access to housing, transportation, education and employment on equal terms.

It also means recognizing that participation in civic life — such as registering to vote or serving on community boards — must be accessible to all. When we design systems with disability inclusion at the center, the entire community benefits.

I urge Duluth residents to stand with those advocating for independent living. Ask local leaders how they are removing barriers to full participation for people with disabilities. Equity cannot exist if any group is left behind.

From local action to global advocacy

In October, I traveled to Berlin to attend the World Health Summit, where public health leaders from across the globe will gather to share insights on emerging health challenges. My goal was to learn how other nations are addressing health inequities and to bring those lessons back to Duluth. Global health may feel far removed from our daily lives, but the truth is that the same forces — inequality, access, policy and prevention — shape outcomes both abroad and at home.

Looking ahead, the NAACP Health and Equity Committee is also beginning conversations about hosting a health fair in 2026. Events like this take time and partnerships to organize, but they are powerful opportunities to connect residents with resources, screenings and advocacy tools.

We welcome anyone in the community who shares this vision to join us in planning.

A call to action

Equity is not an abstract idea. It is whether your neighbor can find fresh food in their neighborhood, whether a grandmother can breathe clean air on a smoky day, whether a survivor can access early cancer screening without barriers, or whether a person with a disability can live independently in their own community.

A healthy Duluth is one where these questions are answered with a “yes” for everyone.

There are steps we can all take right now:
• Attend upcoming candidate forums and ask tough questions about food security.
• Contact city councilors and urge them to prioritize clean-air spaces and climate resilience policies.
• Advocate for disability rights and independent living through local organizations and civic engagement.
• Join the NAACP Health and Equity Committee to be part of ongoing efforts for justice.

Duluth thrives only when every family, every background and every body has a fair chance at health. Together, we can build a future where equity is not the exception, but the expectation.

Monique Doward is a social worker at Fond du Lac Tribal Reservation and resides in Kettle River, Minn. She is also a Doctor of Public Health candidate at Walden University, with research focused on long-haul COVID-19 and cardiovascular disease. She serves on the NAACP Health and Equity Committee, the NAACP Rapid Response Team, the Minnesota Statewide Independent Living Council, the Carlton County Master Gardener Program, and volunteers with the American Red Cross. She is the proud mother of two college students and represented Duluth’s public health voice at the 2025 World Health Summit in Berlin.