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A resolution declaring racism a public health crisis in Nashville and Davidson County.
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WHEREAS, racism is a systemic issue with profound health consequences for people of color, as identified by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), which recognizes racism as a significant social determinant of health; and
WHEREAS, Nashville and Davidson County reflect national trends in health disparities, with Black and minority residents facing significantly worse health outcomes than their white counterparts, notably with Black infants being more than twice as likely to die before their first birthday, according to the TN Department of Health's Office of Family Health and Wellness 2024 report; and
WHEREAS, these disparities are rooted in systemic racism, evidenced by historical injustices like the construction of I-40 through North Nashville, which displaced a thriving Black community, the underfunding of Black educational institutions, contributing to ongoing inequities in education and health, and the fact that the 37208 zip code, which encompasses North Nashville, holds the highest incarceration rate in the nation for individuals born between 1980 and 1986; and
WHEREAS, the COVID-19 pandemic exposed and exacerbated these disparities, with Black and minority residents in Nashville experiencing higher rates of infection, hospitalization, and death compared to white residents, highlighting the urgent need for targeted public health interventions; and
WHEREAS, the Metropolitan Council previously recognized racism as a public health crisis through Resolution No. RS2020-473 during the COVID-19 pandemic in July 2020, committing to working with citizens to enact policies that eradicate systemic racism by investing in predominately Black neighborhoods and other communities of color to create equitable health, educational, and economic opportunities for Black people and other people of color throughout Nashville and Davidson County; and
WHEREAS, in...
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