HomeMy WebLinkAboutResolutions - 2020.06.25 - 33354MISCELLANEOUS RESOLUTION #20217
BY: Commissioners Nancy Quarles, District #17; Gwen Markham, District #9; William Miller, District #14;
Helaine Zack, District #18; Marcia Gershenson, District #13; Penny Luebs, District #16; Michael Gingell,
District #1; Robert Hoffman, District #2; Janet Jackson, District #21; Adam Kochenderfer, District #15;
Eileen Kowall, District #6; Thomas Kuhn, District # 11; Gary McGillivray, District #20; Thomas Middleton,
District #4; Kristen Nelson, District #5; Angela Powell, District#10; Michael Spisz, District #3; Shelley Taub,
District #12; Philip Weipert, District #8; David Woodward, District #19; Christine Long, District #7
IN RE: BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS — RECOGNIZES RACISM AS A PUBLIC HEALTH CRISIS
To the Oakland County Board of Commissioners
Chairperson, Ladies and Gentlemen:
WHEREAS race is a social construct with no biological basis; and
WHEREAS racism is a social system with multiple dimensions: individual racism is internalized or
interpersonal; systemic racism is institutional or structural, and is a system of structuring opportunity and
assigning value based on the social interpretation of how one looks that unfairly disadvantages some
individuals and communities, unfairly advantages other individuals and communities, and saps the strength
of the whole society through the waste of human resources; and
WHEREAS racism causes persistent racial discrimination in housing, education, employment and criminal
justice; and
WHEREAS an emerging body of research demonstrates that racism is a social determinant of health; and
WHEREAS the United Nations declared a decade (2015-2024) focused on the people of African descent
for recognition, justice and development to ensure human rights and fight against structural racism; and
WHEREAS racism is a root cause of poverty and has constricted economic mobility; and
WHEREAS public health's responsibilities to address racism include reshaping our discourse and agenda
so that we all actively engage in racial justice work; and
WHEREAS as stated in the Harvard Public Health Review, racism has driven up health inequities
among historically underserved and marginalized populations locally and nationwide; and
WHEREAS research shows that there is an unequal rate at which Blacks are killed at the hands of
the police compared to Whites.
WHEREAS the limitations in access to health care leads to factors that affect optimal health and well-
being on African Americans; and
WHEREAS George Floyd of Minneapolis, Minnesota tragically died after a police officer violently
compressed his neck. Similarly, Eric Garner of Brooklyn, New York died when his neck and chest were
compressed by police officers. The deaths of these men are just two examples of many that
demonstrate the actions of police officers, severely restricting an individual's ability to breathe who has
already been compromised by asthma, obesity, and hypertensive cardiovascular disease, which can
lead to tragic and sometimes fatal consequences. These diseases occur at substantially higher rates
among Blacks than Whites; and
WHEREAS while there is no epidemiologic definition of "crisis," the health impact of racism clearly rises to
the definition proposed by Galea: "The problem must affect large numbers of people, it must threaten health
over the long-term, and it must require the adoption of large-scale solutions"; and
WHEREAS the Oakland County Board of Commissioners and Oakland County Executive David Coulter
have a demonstrated track record of promoting racial equity, inclusion and diversity in all aspects of county
government. This commitment is most recently exemplified in the creation of our Diversity, Equity and
Inclusion Officer.
NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Oakland County Board of Commissioners hereby
recognizes racism as a public health crisis affecting our entire society.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that, in recognition of this public health crisis, the County of Oakland shall:
1. Assess internal policy and procedures to ensure racial equity and communicates results of the
assessment with benchmarks for future goals and guidelines for future reassessment.
2. Work to create an equity and justice -oriented organization, identifying specific activities to increase
diversity and incorporate anti -racism principles across all aspects of County operations, policies
and procedures.
3. Incorporates into the organizational workplan educational efforts to address and dismantle racism,
expand understanding of racism, and how racism affects individual and population health and
provide tools to assist members to engage actively and authentically with communities of color
among elected and appointed officers and county employees.
4. Advocate for relevant policies that improve health in communities of color, and support local, state,
and federal initiatives that advance social justice, while advocating to dismantle systemic racism.
5. Work to build alliances and partnerships with partner organizations that are confronting racism and
encourages other local, state and national entities to recognize racism as a public health crisis.
6. Advocate for low income and homeless people to receive primary care, free or low-cost medicines,
and education on self -managing chronic illnesses.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Oakland County Clerk/Register of Deeds is requested to forward
copies of the adopted resolution to the Governor of the State of Michigan, the Director of Michigan
Department of Health and Human Services, the State Senate Majority and Minority Leaders, the Speaker
of the State House and the Minority Leader, the members of the Oakland County delegation to the Michigan
Legislature, and the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People.
Chairperson, I move adoption of the foregoing resolution.
0, � �Jh) "
Commissioner David T. Woodward
District #19
�Y-e-14
Commissioner Marcia Gershenson
District #13
<3. 1 o.p-Jim
Commissioner Shelly G. Taub
District #12
Commissioner Bob Hoffman
District #2
Commissioner Michael Spisz
District #3
Commissioner Nancy Quarles
District #17
Commissioner Janet Jackson
District #21
� VNIN
VAIn,
Commissioner Michael J. Gingell
District #1
Commissioner Gary R. McGillivray
District #20
Commissioner Thomas F. Middleton
District #4
Commissioner Helaine Zack
District #18 ✓
Off. A�
Commissioner Adam Kochenderfer
District #15
h'._. ,, cj " -12t
Commissioner Eileen Kowall
District #6
Commissioner Christine Long
District #7
Commissioner Penny Luebs
District #16
I
Commissioner Thomas Kuhn
District #11 I
Commissioner Angela Powell
District #10
CommissionerWilliam Miller
District #14
Commissioner Philip Weipert
District #8 f
4�� 1�av---
Commissioner Gwen Markham
District #9
Commissioner Kristen Nelson
District #5
Resolution #20217 June 25, 2020
Moved by Quarles seconded by Markham to suspend the rules and vote on MR #20217 — Board of
Commissioners — Recognizes Racism as a Public Health Crisis.
Vote on suspension:
AYES: Hoffman, Jackson, Kochenderfer, Markham, McGillivray, Miller, Nelson, Powell, Quarles,
Woodward, Zack, Gershenson, Gingell. (13)
NAYS: Kowall, Kuhn, Spisz, Taub. (4)
A sufficient majority having voted in favor, the motion to suspend the rules and vote on MR #20217 — Board
of Commissioners — Recognizes Racism as a Public Health Crisis carried.
Moved by Quarles seconded by Markham the resolution be adopted.
Discussion followed.
Moved by Jackson seconded by Powell to amend the resolution to add all Commissioners as Co -Sponsors.
A sufficient majority having voted in favor, the motion to amend the resolution to add all Commissioners as
Co -Sponsors carried.
Discussion followed.
Vote on resolution:
AYES: Jackson, Kochenderfer, Kowall, Markham, McGillivray, Miller, Nelson, Powell, Quarles,
Spisz, Taub, Weipert, Woodward, Zack, Gershenson, Gingell, Hoffman. (17)
NAYS: None. (0)
A sufficient majority having voted in favor, the resolution was adopted.
HEREBY APPROVE THE FOREGOING RESOUITION
STATE OF MICHIGAN)
COUNTY OF OAKLAND)
I, Lisa Brown, Clerk of the County of Oakland, do hereby certify that the foregoing resolution is a true and
accurate copy of a resolution adopted by the Oakland County Board of Commissioners on June 25, 2020,
with the original record thereof now remaining in my office.
In Testimony Whereof, I have hereunto set my hand and affixed the seal of the Circuit Court at Pontiac,
Michigan this 251h day of June, 2020.
Lisa Brown, Oakland County