City officials propose declaring racism a public health crisis

A PROPOSED RESOLUTION FOR THECITY COMES WEEKS AFTERHAMILTON COUNTY COMMISSIONERSACTUALLY APPROVED A SIMILARRESOLUTION.

CINCINNATICOUNCILMEMBERS SAY MAKINGRACISM A PUBLIC HEALTH ISSUEIN THE CITY WOULD ALLOWS THEMTO BETTER FOCUS ON ISSUES OFRACISM IN SPECIFIC NEIGHBORHOODS.

PKG:P.G.

SITTENFELD -COUNCILMEMBER"this resolution,this declaration is not meantsimply to be words on paper."COUNCILMAN P.G.

SITTENFELDALONG WITH COUNCILMEMEBERSJAN-MICHELE LEMON KEARNEY ANDWENDELL YOUNG WANT THE CITY TOCONSIDER RACISM AS A PUBLICHEALTH CRISIS.

JAN-MICHELELEMON KEARNEY- COUNCILMEMBERIthink when covid19 we all paideven more attention.

We sawthat the black and browncommunities were the hardesthit.

CHANGES THEY'D LIKE TOSEE-EXPANDED PRE-NATAL CARE,GREATER LEAD TESTING,COMMUNITY-BASED AGRICULTURE TOALLEVIATE FOOD DESERTS, ANDPOLICY REFORMS. WENDELL YOUNG-COUNCILMEMBERas long as localgovernments fail to addressthis, we will be standing hereover and over and over againtalking about a pandemic forracism with no cure in sight.LAST WEEK THE HAMILTON COUNTYBOARD OF COMISSIONERS VOTED TOAPPROVE A DECLARATION THATRACISIM IS A PUBLIC HEALTHCRISIS FOR THE COUNTY.

SO WHYDECLARE IT FOR CINCINNATI?P.G.

SITTENFELD - COUNCILMEMBER"We have our own healthdepartment, we have our ownpolice department.

We have ourown building and inspectionsdepartment.

We need to makesure we have our own house inorder." CINCINNATI COUNCILMANDAVID MANN AGREES WITH THEDECLARATION.

DAVID MANN-CINCINNATI COUNCILMEMBER "thedisparities are enormous.There are neighborhoods in ourcity where a baby born todaywill live 20 years less than ababy born in an adjoiningneighborhood.

IN ORDER FORTHIS RESOLUTION TO BECOMEPERMANENT, CITY COUNCIL MUSTVOTE ON IT.

THAT HAPPENS NEXTMONTH.

IN CINCINNATI, RAVENRICHARD, WCPO NINE NEWS.