LYNN — Mayor Thomas M. McGee and the city’s Public Health Director Michele Desmarais are pushing for the Board of Health to declare racism a public health emergency.
McGee and Desmarais have submitted a “Joint Order Declaring Racism an Emergency and Public Health Crisis in the city of Lynn,” to the Board of Health, which will be taken up at their next meeting on Tuesday, June 30.
“The city of Lynn is committed to reviewing our policies and working to enact the necessary changes to address the public health disparities and the barriers to healthcare that the black community and communities of color experience,” said Desmarais in a statement.
McGee’s office said the proposal is aimed at strengthening efforts to eliminate systemic racism within the city of Lynn through policy creation, systemic change, and increased community conversations.
“Systemic racism adversely affects the black community and communities of color every day,” said McGee in a statement. “Absolutely no one should live in fear of the act of simply living because of the color of their skin. We must listen and learn from those who have endured far too much, and take concrete action to update and reform our policies.
“I look forward to continuing the dialogue with members of our community to rid our city of hatred and inequity that has permeated throughout our society for too long. That starts by acknowledging that racism is a public health emergency and acting accordingly.”
McGee also announced that he has signed the “Mayor’s Pledge,” issued by the Obama Foundation’s My Brother’s Keeper Alliance.
The pledge asks mayors from across the country to commit to certain actions, including reviewing their police use of force policies; engaging their communities by including a diverse range of input, experiences, and stories in their review; reporting the findings of their review to the community and seeking feedback; and reforming their community’s use of force policies, according to McGee’s office.
“While these are steps that will move our city in the right direction, there is still a long way to go,” said McGee. “Addressing structural racism requires a long-term focus and continued efforts from my office and through all levels of city government. I look forward to engaging with my fellow Lynners in this critical work.”
