The anti-racism law in public health would force the federal government to actively develop anti-racist health policy
WASHINGTON – Today, Trump and the Republicans continuing their coordinated attack on diversity, equity and inclusion and RFK initiatives, Jr. dismantles the Ministry of Health and Social Services (HHS), in particular the closure of the minority health office, Congress Ayanna Pressley (MA-07) And Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) reintroducing the Anti-racism in the public health law of 2025, Legislation that would declare racism a public health crisis and oblige the federal government to actively develop anti -racist health policy. The bill would help to expand research and investment in the impacts on public health of structural racism thanks to two daring new programs within the centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
“While Trump and the Republicans incur white supremacy and carry out their coordinated assault against the black, brown and other marginalized communities, we must continue to repel and advance an affirmative and anti -racist program which approaches racism as a public health crisis that it is”, ” said MP Ayanna Pressley. “By expanding research on the impacts on public health of structural racism and forcing the federal government to develop an anti -racist health policy, our bill is the type of reactive legislation that the moment requires.
“For centuries, racism has denied the rescue care for black and brown mothers during pregnancies and has led to higher rates of chronic illness such as diabetes and asthma”, ” said Senator Warren. “We renew the fight to fight against racial disparities head -on and give everyone a chance in a healthy life.”
In addition to research on the impacts of structural racism on public health, the anti-racism law in public health would be:
- Create a “national anti-racism center” to centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to declare racism as a public health crisis that it is and further develop the research base and the knowledge of science and the practice of anti-racism. The center would be responsible for:
- Research, collect data, assign subsidies and ensure leadership and coordination on the science and practice of anti-racism in the provision of health care, the impacts on public health of systemic racism and the effectiveness of interventions to deal with these impacts;
- Create at least three regional centers of excellence in anti-racism;
- Educate the public on the impacts on public health of structural racism and anti -racist public health interventions;
- Consult other CDC centers to ensure that scientific and programmatic activities initiated by the agency consider structural racism in their conceptions, conceptualizations and executions; And
- Create a program to prevent law violence within the National Center for the Prevention and Control of Wounds in the CDC. The physical and psychological violence perpetuated by the police leads to deaths, wounds, trauma and stress and affects marginalized populations in a disproportionate manner. This bill would adopt a public health approach to combat police brutality by creating a devoted program of prevention of the violence of the police at the CDC.
In October 2022, following the introduction of the legislators of the Public Health Act, HHS Awarded $ 493,000 to the Boston Public Health Commission (BPHC) To support their efforts to combat the policies of homelessness disorders and the consumption of substances that create or perpetuate health disparities and contribute to structural racism.
Joining Pressley and Warren in Introduction the Anti-Racism in Public Health Act Representatives Joyce Beatty, Shontel Brown, André Carson, Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick, Dwight Evans, Hank Johnson, Jennifer McClellan, Jerry Nadler, Elean Holmes Norton, Alexandria Norton, Ocasio-Cortez, Ilhan Omar, Mark Pocan, Delia C. Ramirez, Jan Schakowsky, Terwell, Adam Smith, Melanie Stansbury, Mark Takano, Bennie G. Thompson, Ritchie Torres, Debbie Wasserman Schultz and Bonnie Watson Coleman.
The legislation is approved by the following organizations: Columbia Now, SC; Power to decide; Public citizen; National Council of Jewish Women; YW BOSTON; Doctors for a national health program; Center for police actions; Justice in aging; Feminist female health center; Guttmacher Institute; Center for reproductive rights; Diversity uplifts, inc.; Each mother counts; Conference of Boston teaching hospitals; And Boston Medical Center.
A copy of the text of the invoice can be found here.
In November 2022, the representative Pressley, the mayor of Boston Michelle Wu and the public health commissioner and executive director of the Boston Public Health Commission, Dr. Bisola Ojikutu, held a round table With defenders of public health to highlight the nearly $ 493,000 of new federal funding to help Boston to approach the impacts on public health of structural racism.
In October 2022, the Pressley representative, Senator Warren and the deputy Barbara Lee Applaudi new financing For BPHC, which was awarded by the American Department of Health and Social Services (HHS) as well as nine other subsidies to community organizations across the country. In total, HHS has granted more than $ 4.8 million to support local efforts to combat policies that can create or perpetuate health disparities and contribute to structural racism.
###