The full county council of Montgomery County, Maryland, plans to introduce a proposal to declare racism a public health crisis.
Will Jawando, a member of the county council, explained that the resolution, which is expected to be introduced on Tuesday, would help address health disparities among people of color, particularly among those in the black community.
“It will unambiguously connect the fact that racism is embedded in a systemic way in so many of the reasons why black people, why people of color are dying,” Jawando said in an early morning interview with a local DC station.
He further said that the resolution would work to begin “connecting the racism that’s been going on for 401 years to all of those outcomes and saying, one, that’s why it’s happening. It’s not because we drink or because we don’t eat well or we don’t exercise. No, that’s not the reason for the disparities. It’s because racism is embedded in each system.”
Montgomery County is introducing a resolution to declare racism a public health crisis. At-Large councilmember Will Jawando, will propose the resolution Tuesday. #fox5dc pic.twitter.com/zGC5WJgHdx
— FOX 5 DC (@fox5dc) June 9, 2020
Among other health disparities, he mentioned that 1 in 4 COVID-19 fatalities in Montgomery County have been black residents, who only make up 20% of the county’s population. Jawando asserted, “When we show up at the doctor, doctors are much more likely to not think we’re sick.”
The councilman also addressed the fact that black people are more likely to die at the hands of police than the general population. Along with other proposals, he argued, “We need to get police out of schools.” Racism is “literally killing us,” he said.
The resolution will introduce 13 different specific action steps the council intends to implement. If passed, the councilman plans to introduce legislation under the resolution that would change the county police’s use of force standards. Members of the community will have a chance to comment on the resolution before the council votes on it on June 16.
The New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene has already called racism a public health crisis in the state following the protests after the death of George Floyd, an unarmed black man who died after a white police officer kneeled on his neck for several minutes. A similar effort is also being pushed in Minneapolis, where Floyd died.
