Health equity is where everyone has a fair and just opportunity to be as healthy as possible.Like other forms of social injustice, the origins of health inequality connect directly to theunique historical legacy of America.   That link is not always apparent to many.  Althoughpatients have a role in their own health outcomes and are often blamed for the disparities, structural and institutional racism has played a major role in the creation and perpetuation of these inequities for people of color. Current interventions over decades have done little to improve healthcare disparities.  Transformational system changes are needed to improve healthcare for all My Education has included BA at Columbia University, MD at Tufts University, Internal Medicine at Duke University and nephrology fellowship at Emory University. I have worked in medicine in the public and private sectors and done mission work overseas. As a Chief Health Equity Officer, I have led large health systems attempt to address health disparities. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx