Brown, Colleagues Reintroduce Resolution Declaring Racism a Public Health Crisis

Press Release

U.S. Sens. Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Alex Padilla (D-CA), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Reverend Raphael Warnock (D-GA), and Mazie Hirono (D-HI) are reintroducing a Senate Resolution to declare racism a public health crisis. Representative Jahana Hayes (D-CT-5) will introduce companion legislation in the House of Representatives. The coronavirus pandemic has not only been a great revealer but also a great accelerator of the racial disparities that continue to pervade public health as a direct result of systemic racism. Barriers to quality health care access, housing, jobs, wages and so much else contribute to stark health disparities for communities of color. This virus has proven especially lethal for those communities -- the infection, hospitalization, and mortality rates are disproportionately high among Black, Latino, and American Indians and Alaska Natives (AI/AN) populations.

Data published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) show that communities of color carry a disproportionate burden of COVID-19 deaths across the lifespan. When adjusted for age, data from the CDC's National Vital Statistics System (NVSS) show that Black Americans make up 22.2 percent of COVID-19 deaths, when Black people make up 12 percent of the entire population, and Latino Americans make up 37.8 percent of COVID-19 deaths, when they make up just 18 percent of the entire population.

"We will not make progress until we acknowledge and address all of the ways that centuries of racism and oppression have harmed Black and brown Americans," said Senator Brown. "This resolution is an important step toward recognizing the racial disparities in healthcare that have existed for far too long while also outlining concrete action we can take now to help reverse them. Though this resolution is not a solution in and of itself, it will help to lay the foundation for change that is continually subverted by and for the status quo. I am proud to join my colleagues in introducing this important resolution."

"For too long, communities of color have suffered disproportionately from countless illnesses and conditions, from maternal and infant mortality to COVID-19," said Senator Booker. "These health inequities are the direct result of centuries of racist policies that have disenfranchised, disinvested, and disrespected Black, Indigenous, and other communities of color. Declaring racism a public health crisis is a small but necessary step toward addressing the deep-rooted and systemic inequities that have created and continue to exacerbate unfair and unjust health outcomes."

"The COVID-19 pandemic has only underscored what we know to be true: racial disparities in health care continue to persist and communities of color have suffered greatly from it. We must address the deep-rooted inequities caused by racism and discrimination in health care in this country. I'm proud to join my colleagues on this critical resolution that acknowledges long-standing racial disparities and strives for equity in health care for everyone," said Senator Padilla.

"This deadly pandemic has put a spotlight on the overwhelming inequities in our health care, economic and environmental protection systems that have plagued communities of color for far too long," said Senator Duckworth. "Acknowledging that these deep-rooted inequities are a result of systemic discrimination and racism is the first step to addressing this crisis, which is one of the reasons I'm proud to join my colleagues on this important resolution."

"Systemic barriers and institutional racism have caused communities of color, including Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders, to experience poorer health outcomes," said Senator Hirono. "These existing disparities have only worsened during the pandemic. This resolution provides a roadmap to right these historic inequities and improving health care access and quality."

"To heal the wounds of racism, we must confront our long history of structural barriers to health and health care for people of color," said to Bruce Siegel, MD, MPH, President and CEO of America's Essential Hospitals. "This resolution does that and charts a path to greater equity in health care. We thank Sen. Brown and his colleagues for declaring racism a public health crisis, and we look forward to supporting the goals of this resolution."

"Women of color continue to be among the most marginalized groups in our country with the least access to resources and among the highest racial disparities in health, economic opportunity, housing, and other indicators of health and well-being. These conditions, and the fight to eliminate racism in our country, have persisted for far too long," said Elisha Rhodes, Interim CEO of YWCA USA. "Today's introduction of the resolution declaring racism a public health crisis is a critical step in improving the future for people of color. YWCA looks forward to working with Members of Congress to advance public health approaches that can effectively disrupt and end racial injustice in our communities."

The resolution acknowledges the history of racism and discrimination within health care and the systemic barriers that people of color continue to face when seeking care. The resolution also highlights the effects of systemic racism on the health and wellness of communities of color, resulting in shorter life expectancy, worsened health outcomes, and enhanced exposure to harmful or dangerous environments. This resolution encourages concrete action to address health disparities and inequity across all sectors in society.

Along the resolution was cosponsored by Sens. Edward Markey (D-MA), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Tim Kaine (D-VA), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Ben Cardin (D-MD), Robert Menendez (D-NJ), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Mark Warner (D-VA), Robert Casey (D-PA), Michael Bennet (D-CO), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Tina Smith (D-MN), Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), Ronald Wyden (D-OR), Tom Carper (D-DE), and Patty Murray (D-WA).

Full text of the resolution is available HERE.

A full list of Supporting Organizations is available HERE.