Rolling Out reports: Malcolm X College hosts Its first health equity summit

Malcolm X College launches its first Health Equity Summit to tackle the inequities shaping life on Chicago’s South and West Sides.

Malcolm X College is set to make history this month with the launch of its first-ever Health Equity Summit, a two-day convening designed to bring healthcare leaders, educators, students, advocates and community members together under one roof to take on one of Chicago’s most pressing public health challenges: the deep and persistent inequities that continue to shape health outcomes across the city.

Scheduled for March 18 and 19, 2026 (9am to 2pm both days), at the college’s conference center at 1900 W. Jackson Blvd., the summit is free and open to the public. Attendees can register at ccc.edu/mxhealthsummit. CEU credit is also available for eligible participants.

The event is programmed and hosted by Malcolm X College alongside its Student Activities Department, Student Government Association and the college’s Nursing Department, making it a campuswide effort that puts students at the center of the conversation alongside seasoned professionals and community stakeholders.

Why This Summit, and Why Now

Chicago has long grappled with dramatic disparities in health outcomes, particularly on the South and West Sides, where residents face limited access to pharmacies, primary care providers and wellness resources. These are not abstract statistics. They represent real communities where a person’s ZIP code can be a stronger predictor of health than their genetic makeup.

Those social drivers, sometimes called social determinants of health, refer to the non-medical conditions and environments where people are born, raised, educated, employed and where they age. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, these factors can account for up to 80% of health outcomes, often carrying more weight than clinical care or genetics alone. Organizers deliberately use the term “drivers” rather than “determinants” to underscore a key point: these conditions are not fixed. They can be changed.

Day One: Nursing Leadership and Innovation

Day Two: Community-Centered Solutions

Perhaps most significant is the college’s intention to make this an annual event. Malcolm X College President Dr. David Sanders has been clear that this summit is not a one-time moment but the beginning of something sustained.

The Health Equity Summit is free and open to the public. Registration is available at ccc.edu/mxhealthsummit.

Read the full story in Rolling Out magazine.