Racism a public health crisis? Cleveland City Council weighs declaration to tackle impacts on society

Cleveland City Hall

Cleveland City Council introduced a resolution Monday declaring racism in Cleveland and the societal problems it creates to be a public health crisis that requires formal government attention.

CLEVELAND, Ohio – City Council introduced a resolution Monday declaring racism in Cleveland and the societal problems it creates to be a public health crisis that requires formal government attention.

If approved by council, the legislation would trigger formation of a study group that would include organizations such as the NAACP, Urban League of Greater Cleveland, United Way of Greater Cleveland, Birthing Beautiful Communities, the YWCA of Greater Cleveland and First Year Cleveland.

“Then we’ll look at putting together the ordinances we need to address the issues,” Councilman Blaine Griffin said in an interview with cleveland.com. “Once you declare something, you now have to have actionable steps to eliminate the crisis.”

Griffin co-sponsored the resolution with Councilman Basheer Jones.

The legislation recognizes racism as a crisis that damages public health, as defined by the World Health Organization, through discrimination. The U.S. Office of Disease Prevention also has recognized that discrimination has a negative impact on health in a community.

Those impacts are caused by the historic impacts of slavery, Jim Crow laws and redlining in neighborhoods, leading to public health issues today, Griffin said.

“Still now, racism – not race – causes disproportionately high rates of homelessness, incarceration, poor education and health outcomes and economic hardship for African Americans,” the legislation states.

Griffin cited the Woodland Hills area in his East Side ward, which he said has the lowest life expectancy of anywhere in Cuyahoga County.

Research by the Urban Institute published in 2015 found that Woodland Hills and two adjacent Cleveland neighborhoods had a life expectancy that was 15 years less than some outer-ring suburbs.


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