Kearney sponsors legislation declaring systemic racism a public health crisis

Sep 10, 2020

State and local officials join Cincinnati City Councilmembers Jan-Michele Kearney (at the podium), Wendell Young and P.G. Sittenfeld (right) as they introduce legislation declaring systemic racism a public health crisis.

Cincinnait City Councilmembers Jan-Michele Kearney, Wendell Young and P.G. Sittenfeld introduced a resolution declaring racism a public health crisis at a news conference in North Avondale on July 22. They do so standing in solidarity with legislators across Ohio and the nation who have introduced measures to declare racism as a public health crisis. This marks an important step as we collectively begin to address the unacceptable legacy of individual and structural racism. The resolution was passed by City Council on August 5, declaring that there are systems and policies in place that create or maintain racial inequalities, and these disparities permeate almost every facet of life.

The resolution states that by declaring racism a public health crisis, the city would institute minority business inclusion requirements, ongoing reforms to police-community relations, change bail practices for offenses prosecuted by the City of Cincinnati’s Law Department, provide financial support for minority-owned businesses, and repeal outdated criminalization of drug offenses. The city will also examine disparities in housing and health.

“Many organizations have begun this work in various areas, so we can support some of the ongoing efforts, and well as make new strides where necessary,” says Kearney.

The resolution notes that a number of national and local health organizations and virtually all evidence-based organizations assert that racism in the United States negatively impacts the public health outcomes of minority citizens through the institutional and interpersonal discrimination and disparate outcomes in many areas of life, including housing, education, employment, transportation, health and criminal justice.

This passage of this important legislation could not have been more timely. City of Cincinnati stands on the front lines and witnesses the health disparities that exist in our community daily. We recognize that there is so much more work to be done to condemn and address systematic racism and the underlying conditions that allow inequity to persist.

Nationally, over 170,000 people have lost their lives to the COVID-19 virus. Across the country and at home, this pandemic continues to negatively impact African-American families and communities of color at a disproportionate rate. Local death statistics tell an unacceptable story. The most recent data shows African Americans have accounted for over 60% of the region’s COVID-19 deaths. We know that the disparate impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on Black and Brown communities has only highlighted the disparities that have existed for a long time.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has stated that “the conditions in which people are born, grow, work, live, and age, and the wider set of forces and systems shaping the conditions of daily life, including economic policies and systems, development agendas, social norms, social policies, and political systems” and these social determinants of health are all affected by racism in our local community, and beyond.

A report published by the Urban League of Greater Southwestern Ohio illustrates how individual and structural racism contributes to Cincinnati’s Black residents experiencing dramatically higher unemployment rates and lower-than-average household incomes. The report also notes that this results in Black residents living in neighborhoods with low-performing schools and experiencing disproportionately higher rates of incarceration.

Whether it is the life expectancy difference between Avondale, a predominantly African American neighborhood surrounding University of Cincinnati Medical Center and the more affluent white neighboring area of North Avondale; or whether it’s the disparities in infant mortality and Black maternal mortality, we see disparity every day across our city and in our neighborhoods. Cincinnati Health Department documents that average life expectancy can vary dramatically for minority residents in comparison to white residents, and infant mortality rates are double for Black residents in comparison to white residents. Across the country, Black Americans suffer from higher rates of diabetes, hypertension, asthma and heart disease than white Americans. We know that racism affects a wide variety of the social determinants of health including transportation, employment, food access, housing and more. It is a reality that we have come to know all too well – racism is a public health crisis.

We are committed to fighting and addressing inequities within our own systems, by adopting a ‘Health in All Policies’ framework, instituting minority business inclusion requirements, implementing ongoing reforms to improve police-community relations, reforming our bail practices for offenses prosecuted by the City of Cincinnati’s Law Department, providing financial support for minority-owned businesses, repealing the outdated criminalization of drug offenses, and more — while also recognizing that much more action is needed.

City Council expressed support for using a racial equity lens to assess internal city policies and practices, including in contexts such as hiring, promotion, leadership appointments, and funding, to the extent legally permissible. As we recognize that racism is a reality and a struggle for Cincinnati’s employees, residents, and especially for our communities of color, we stand in solidarity with leaders in our region and continue to strive to eradicate racial inequality.

Together, we must do better.