Movement Grows to Declare Racism a Public Health Emergency
In the wake of nationwide protests sparked by police and vigilante murders of African Americans, as well as a pandemic that has disproportionately impacted Black and Hispanic communities, cities, counties and states across the country are moving to declare racism a public health emergency.
Milwaukee, Wisconsin was the first U.S. city to make such a declaration in 2019, and more than 20 other counties and cities have followed suit, according to PEW. Legislation is pending on the state level in Ohio and Michigan, The Guardian reported. The movement is gaining momentum in response to the new coronavirus and weeks of racial justice protests, but builds on decades of evidence that racism harms the health of African Americans.