Racism is declared a 'public health crisis' by Ventura County Board of Supervisors
VENTURA, Calif. (KABC) -- The Ventura County Board of Supervisors has declared racism a "public health crisis," the panel announced Tuesday.
"Over this past year, the tragic deaths of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, and others have caused many people to unite in efforts to raise awareness and push for meaningful action that will lead to equitable treatment among all communities," the board said in a statement. "The COVID-19 pandemic has also brought into sharp focus systemic institutional and structural racism that inequitably impacts Black, Indigenous, and People of Color."
The board approved a resolution, pledging to promote equity, inclusion, and diversity in housing, employment, economic development, health care, and public safety.
The resolution was passed after multiple discussions involving the Ventura County Sheriff's Department and community organizations, and a forum with panelists from the group Black Lawyers of Ventura County, the NAACP, the county's public defender, district attorney and executive officer, and members of an Inclusion Task Force.
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