Local Group Declares “Racism is a Public Health Crisis” [AUDIO]

In 2014 a group of Black community leaders in Rochester came together to ensure that we have a seat at the table when it comes to policies and procedures that impact us.

Jackie Campbell, one of the founding members of The Black Agenda Group, says the organization is made up of volunteers who are on a mission to “center blackness”.

In May 2020, the Black Agenda Group aka The BAG, declared “Racism is a Public Health Crisis”. 

We agree that Racism is a Public Health Crisis and commit to taking urgent action because:

• Race is a social construct with no biological basis.

• Racism is a system that creates structures of opportunity and assigns value based on the social interpretation of how one looks, that unfairly disadvantages some individuals and communities, while unfairly providing advantages to other individuals and communities, and saps the strength of the whole society through the waste of human resources.

• Racism causes persistent racial discrimination in housing, education, health care, employment, criminal justice, business, and economic mobility. There is an emerging body of research that demonstrates racism as a social determinant of health.

• Racial health disparities in the Black Community have existed since racial health data has been collected and analyzed. Racial health disparities in diabetes, hypertension, heart disease, and mental health are prevalent and growing.

In a interview with Jazzy T on WDKX, Mrs. Campbell says the national outrage over the police killing of George Floyd helped garner support for the group’s cause.

Sign the pledge here and listen to the full podcast below.