NAACP, Sanofi Announce Interactive Health Equity Map, Making Nearly 23,000 Community Voices "Impossible to Ignore"

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 6, 2026
Contact: communications@naacpnet.org  
 

CHICAGO – During the 117th NAACP National Convention, the NAACP, in collaboration with Sanofi, a global healthcare company, launched Black Communities' Health: In Plain Sight — a first-of-its-kind interactive health equity map that brings the voices of nearly 23,000 residents to life at the ZIP-code level. The digital Story Map transforms data from the landmark ACE Your Health Community Wellness Survey into a powerful, publicly accessible tool designed to inform advocacy, investment, and policy decisions.

The map, available on naacp.org, allows users to explore how race, gender, and geography intersect to shape access to healthy food, quality healthcare and culturally responsive providers, safe neighborhoods, clean air and water, and stable housing — the five structural levers communities themselves identified as most critical to their well-being.

"Black communities have always known what they face," said Dr. Chris Pernell, Director of the NAACP Center for Health Equity. "Now, nearly 23,000 voices have made their insights undeniable. This map is not just data; it's about sharing their testimony. It shows, block by block and ZIP code by ZIP code, where racial inequities have shaped health outcomes for generations. Our job is to make sure the people who hold power can no longer look away. The question is not whether we have the evidence. The question is whether we have the will to act."

The ACE Your Health Community Wellness survey, conducted from January through September 2025, gathered responses from 22,689 residents across 47 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico — nearly double the original goal. The map disaggregates responses by race, gender, and ZIP code, with data spanning nearly 4,000 ZIP codes nationwide.

"Data alone don't change health outcomes, action does," said Tanisha M. Sullivan, Head of External Engagement & Health Equity Strategy at Sanofi. "This map helps translate data into actionable insights for the people who need it most: patients, local leaders, advocates, and community members. Our goal is to equip communities with the data they need to understand what is possible for better health and to work collaboratively to develop solutions to achieve better health outcomes for patients and their communities."

Among the findings now visible at the ZIP-code level:

• A quality care gap: While 63% of respondents live with at least one chronic condition, lower-income respondents are significantly less likely to live near quality hospitals — only 28% of those earning less than $20,000 live within five to ten minutes of a quality hospital, compared to roughly one-third of those earning $60,000 or more. 
• Proximity doesn't equal access: While 94% of respondents have a grocery store nearby, lower-income households face greater barriers — only 38% of those earning less than $20,000 have a store within five minutes, compared to 56% of those earning $100,000 or more. 
• Clean air, uncertain water: While 81% of respondents describe their neighborhood air quality as good, only 38% say the same about their water quality — a disparity that widens by income, with just 31% of lower-income households rating their water as good compared to 40% of higher-income households. 

The map, produced in collaboration with CommunityWorks and Us At Spaces LLC, is designed to be a living tool — one that communities, advocates, policymakers, and health systems can use to make the case for targeted investment and structural change.

The launch of Black Communities' Health: In Plain Sight follows the release of the full ACE Your Health Community Wellness Survey report, which identified five national priority areas for health equity investment: Housing and Environmental Conditions; Transportation Access; Affordable and Culturally Responsive Care; Food Access and Cost; and Chronic Stress and Caregiving Burden. The map allows users to explore these priorities at the local level, making national findings actionable for city-by-city and neighborhood-by-neighborhood change.

How to Use the Map:

• Explore ZIP-code-level data on access to healthy food, quality hospitals, pharmacies, green spaces, and culturally responsive care
• Disaggregate findings by race and gender to understand intersecting inequities
• Identify priority areas for local advocacy, investment, and policy intervention
• Share findings with community leaders, policymakers, and health systems

The ACE Your Health survey was led by the NAACP Center for Health Equity in collaboration with Sanofi as part of a shared commitment to advancing health equity through authentic community engagement, innovative public policy, and targeted investment. For more information on the innovative ACE Your Health portfolio, visit naacp.org.

About NAACP 

The NAACP advocates, agitates, and litigates for the civil rights due to Black America. Our legacy is built on the foundation of grassroots activism by the biggest civil rights pioneers of the 20th century and is sustained by 21st-century activists. From classrooms and courtrooms to city halls and Congress, our network of members across the country works to secure the social and political power that will end race-based discrimination. That work is rooted in racial equity, civic engagement, and supportive policies and institutions for all marginalized people. We are committed to a world without racism where Black people enjoy equitable opportunities in thriving communities. 
 

NOTE: The Legal Defense Fund – also referred to as the NAACP-LDF - was founded in 1940 as a part of the NAACP, but now operates as a completely separate entity. 
 

About Sanofi  
Sanofi is an R&D driven, AI-powered biopharma company committed to improving people's lives and delivering compelling growth. We apply our deep understanding of the immune system to invent medicines and vaccines that treat and protect millions of people around the world, with an innovative pipeline that could benefit millions more. Our team is guided by one purpose: we chase the miracles of science to improve people's lives; this inspires us to drive progress and deliver positive impact for our people and the communities we serve, by addressing the most urgent healthcare, environmental, and societal challenges of our time. 
 

About ACE Your Health Initiative 
The ACE Your Health initiative is supported by a collaboration between the NAACP and Sanofi to understand the resources available in communities that help people lead their healthiest lives.