Via City Council vote, Oakland says racism a public health crisis
The Oakland City Council unanimously voted Tuesday to declare racism a public health crisis.
The vote sets aside $350,000 to fund two new positions in the city Department of Race and Equity.
The ordinance was introduced by the city attorney, Barbara Parker, City Administrator Ed Reiskin, and Darlene Flynn, the director of the Department of Race and Equity. It was also cosponsored by Council Members Sheng Thao, Loren Taylor and Treva Reid — all of whom are running for mayor.
“The link between racism and disparate health outcomes is wellestablished and indisputable, and the City of Oakland wishes to join the growing number of jurisdictions across the country that have formally declared racism a public health crisis,” Parker, Flynn and Reiskin wrote in a staff report.
The declaration is a key first step in advancing equity in the city, Parker said at the City Council meeting.
“We have a long way to go,” Parker said. “We begin that long journey with that first step and we think this is an important one.”
The funds would be used to hire a consultant and data analyst for the Department of Race and Equity, which was formed in 2015, to “achieve more equitable outcomes for Oakland residents,” according to the staff report.
Parker said the two new staff members will help identify inequities in the city, and Flynn will then “develop the means, steps and procedures to advance equity.”
Studies show that racism-related stress can trigger biological responses, potentially leading to hypertension, heart disease, cancer, inflammation, abnormal gene activity and a weakened immune system. Studies also indicate that persistent racism is a leading cause of stress, particularly among Black people.
The city will prioritize Black, Indigenous, Latinx, Asian, Pacific Islander and other communities of color in determining budget priorities, designing programs and delivering services, the staff report said.
More than 40% of Black people in the U.S. suffer from high blood pressure, putting them at a significantly greater risk of developing heart disease and stroke than white people, according to the American Heart Association. Research also shows that Black people in the U.S. have higher rates of obesity and diabetes.
In Oakland, officials said structural racism has led to a public health crisis. Black and brown people face poorer health outcomes compared to white residents, the staff report said.
Residents in a historically white neighborhood in the North Oakland
hills can live, on average, an additional 15 years compared to residents in historically Black and Latinx neighborhoods in West Oakland and the East Oakland flatlands, according to the report.
Disparities have been found in COVID infection rates, hospitalizations and deaths. The staff report also said similar disparities were found in the rates of diabetes, asthma, hypertension and heart disease, and deaths due to opioid overdoses.
City staff said comprehensive data is “necessary for the city to understand both the historical and ongoing effects of racism on service delivery and the health and safety of Oakland residents.” Such data can also allow the city to track progress toward addressing racism.
Oakland will prioritize Black, Indigenous, Latinx, Asian, Pacific Islander and other communities of color in determining budget priorities, designing programs and delivering services.