At a special July board meeting, the Common Ground board of directors unanimously affirmed Common Ground’s commitment to anti-racism and endorsed the Greater Rochester Black Agenda Group’s declaration that racism is a public health crisis.
The board of directors’ resolution echoed a statement by staff and members of the African American and Latino health coalitions and the Healthi Kids Coalition that racism is a public health crisis. The board’s statement notes that structural racism undermines the social determinants of health, creating inequities in housing, education, employment, environmental quality and health care.
“For the past two decades, Common Ground Health research has shown that such social inequities undermine the physical and mental wellbeing of Black and Brown communities, creating appallingly high levels of chronic illness and premature death,” the board’s statement said.
“Recent examples of police brutality along with the high rates of deaths and the economic devastation of Black Americans during the coronavirus pandemic have created a confluence of crises that is heightening understanding that all of these events are connected,” the board’s statement said.
The statement declares that structural racism a public health crisis and encourages other organizations and individuals to do the same. It commits the nonprofit to continuing to ensure its initiatives and mission are focused on health equity.
“We will continue to support our internal diversity and inclusion committee to ensure continuous improvement in our efforts to be an anti-racist organization,” the board resolution said.
Full statement:
Whereas structural racism affects all social determinants of health, creating devastating inequities in housing, education, employment, criminal justice, access to healthy food, environmental quality, and health care;
Whereas for the past two decades, Common Ground Health research has shown that such social inequities undermine the physical and mental wellbeing of Black and Brown communities, creating appallingly high levels of chronic illness and premature death;
Whereas recent examples of police brutality along with the high rates of deaths and economic devastation of Black Americans during the coronavirus pandemic have created a confluence of crises that is heightening understanding that all of these events are connected;
Whereas the Rochester Black Agenda Group has issued a declaration that Racism is a Public Health Crisis; therefore be it
Resolved that Common Ground Health declares that structural racism is a public health crisis and encourages other organizations and individuals to do likewise;
Further resolved that Common Ground will continue to ensure that our work plan and initiatives are focused on health equity as is the mission of this organization;
Further resolved that we will continue to support our internal diversity and inclusion committee to ensure continuous improvement in our efforts to be an anti-racist organization;
Finally resolved, that Common Ground Health endorses "Declaration: 'Racism Is A Public Health Crisis'" by the Greater Rochester Black Agenda Group.