Last month, Cleveland鈥檚 elected officials and nonprofit leaders took to the steps of City Hall to hail a .
The group included Christin Farmer, who leads , a nonprofit that works with Black expecting mothers. She said she was skeptical and would keep an eye on whether the city鈥檚 leaders followed through.
鈥淚f we are going to say that this is a public health issue and that we are taking this serious, then I鈥檓 holding people accountable,鈥� Farmer told media assembled for the event. 鈥淏ecause my work depends on saving the lives of Black babies every day.鈥�
The idea of treating racism as a public health issue has circulated for some time, well before the death of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police. Cleveland City Council introduced its measure in March.
But under the shadow of the coronavirus and amid new protests over police brutality, the notion has taken hold among more local governments in Ohio and around the country.
, and are just a few of the cities officially declaring racism a public health crisis this year. Ohio state lawmakers have also been debating a declaration.
But it鈥檚 not clear what kind of action will follow.
The declarations list health disparities that hit Black communities harder, like and . They also point to research in , the idea that what kind of neighborhood one lives in affects access to fresh food, good housing, jobs and ultimately, one鈥檚 wellbeing.
They don鈥檛 typically codify new policies or allocate funds, but these declarations often appoint task forces to recommend a path forward.
Councilwoman Veronica Sims, who sponsored a , said it鈥檚 not a one-and-done proposition.
鈥淭his is just not one big feast, right, and so we鈥檙e going to all get together and eat and then it鈥檚 over,鈥� Sims told ideastream. 鈥淚t鈥檚 something that needs to go on until we accomplish the goal of dismantling structural and systemic racism.鈥�
鈥楢 Very Different Moment鈥�
The tumultuous events of 2020 have given momentum to the issue, according to Cleveland State University Professor Ronnie Dunn, the university's interim chief diversity and inclusion officer.
The impact of COVID-19 on Black and Latino Americans, the shutdowns of state economies, the video of a police officer kneeling on George Floyd鈥檚 neck 鈥� all of it has added up in public opinion, he said.
鈥淧eople being sheltered at home, and almost held virtually captive audiences with their children there,鈥� Dunn said, 鈥淚 think that made this a very different moment in history.鈥�
The resolutions have won passage in a number of Democratic-majority cities in Ohio, but they鈥檝e also picked up some bipartisan support, too. Declarations in Summit and counties passed with unanimous support from Democratic and Republican council members.
Smaller, predominantly white cities have taken up the idea, too. The city council in Green . Commissioners in Piqua, a city of around 21,000 in Miami County, .
鈥淭he resolution is a starting point,鈥� Mayor Kris Lee, , told fellow commissioners. 鈥淚t is not saying that there is a problem with racism in Piqua. We鈥檙e not saying that. We鈥檙e saying that there is a problem with racism period, throughout the country.鈥�
The path to passage isn鈥檛 always unanimous or straightforward, however.
Lima City Council passed a resolution with one vote in opposition, . Mansfield city council members delayed a vote on the issue until July 21 to allow more discussion.
鈥榃e Want To See Something Tangible鈥�
Now, the question for cities and counties is what comes next.
Just as emergency declarations come before disaster relief, Dunn said, health crisis resolutions should lead to investment in people hurt by racial discrimination.
鈥淲e鈥檝e been remiss to address them in their individual sectors, in criminal justice, in education, in housing,鈥� he said, 鈥渟o I think looking at it from the health perspective is an astute strategy.鈥�
Dunn suggested measures to help people who were prosecuted in Cleveland for 鈥渃rack pipe鈥� cases in the years before . The city could also pass legislation banning racial profiling by police, he said.
Some are looking beyond government, too. Cleveland City Councilman Basheer Jones wants to get private institutions involved. That would mean reversing discriminatory practices and elevating more Black people to management roles, he said.
鈥淲hether it鈥檚 hospitals, whether it鈥檚 banks, whether it鈥檚 whatever it is, we want to see something tangible happen,鈥� Jones said. 鈥淲e want to see something tangible happen to show us that you truly believe that these practices have had an impact.鈥�
Farmer told ideastream it鈥檚 not enough to hold talks about racism without committing to action.
鈥淚 think that a lot of times it is a way to make people feel like they鈥檙e doing something without them actually having to be accountable to do something,鈥� she said.
For Farmer, 鈥渄oing something鈥� means spending money on what she calls 鈥淏lack infrastructure,鈥� that is, African-American organizations that are of and for the communities they serve.
These declarations can鈥檛 just be trends, she said.
鈥淏ecause it鈥檒l come back to bite you,鈥� she said. 鈥淏ecause when it comes time to be held accountable, what are you really doing for your Black citizens in your city, county, state?鈥�
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