The city council of Minneapolis, Minnesota, approved a resolution Friday officially declaring racism a public health emergency.
The resolution comes nearly two months after George Floyd, a Black man, died after a White Minneapolis police officer knelt on his neck.
“Systemic racism is among the greatest long-term threats our city and nation are facing, and the last two months have made that reality painfully clear,” said Mayor Jacob Frey in a press release issued by the city. “For Minneapolis to be a place where everyone can live and thrive, we must recognize this crisis for what it is and approach policymaking with the urgency it deserves.”
According to studies highlighted in the city’s resolution, “Black people are three times more likely to be killed by police as white people in this country.” The imbalance has effected mental health in the Black community, but only one in three Black Americans who need mental health care receive it.
The resolution notes that “the killings of unarmed Black men are associated with an increase in depression and emotional issues for Black people.” Dr. Jess Clemons of “Ask Dr. Jess” told “CBS This Morning” in June that a lack of mental healthcare access has hit America’s Black population the hardest.
“We’re expected to not only present with symptoms, but also have nowhere to go, because lack of access, the stigma, and barriers associated with it,” Clemons said.
The resolution also notes that Minneapolis ranks “as one of the worst regions for racial gaps in home ownership, poverty, median income and obtaining a high school diploma.”
“Racism in all its forms causes persistent discrimination and disparate outcomes in many areas of life, including housing, education, health, employment, public safety and criminal justice; exacerbated further by the COVID-19 pandemic crisis,” the resolution said.
The city council has also committed to allocate funding, staff and resources to “actively engage in racial equity in order to name, reverse, and repair the harm done to BIPOC.”
Audrey McNamara – CBS News – July 17, 2020.
