Letter to Massachusetts Legislature Supporting H.2400 An Act Regarding Racism as a Public Health Crisis
July 29, 2022
| The Honorable Ronald Mariano Speaker of the House, Massachusetts House of Representatives Massachusetts State House 24 Beacon Street Boston, MA 02133 + |
The Honorable Karen Spilka Senate President, Massachusetts Senate Massachusetts State House 24 Beacon Street Boston, MA 02133+ |
| The Honorable Aaron Michlewitz Chairman, House Committee on Ways and Means Massachusetts State House 24 Beacon Street Boston, MA 02133 + |
The Honorable Michael Rodrigues Chairman, Senate Committee on Ways and Means Massachusetts State House 24 Beacon Street Boston, MA 02133 + |
Dear Speaker Mariano, President Spilka, Chairman Michlewitz, and Chairman Rodrigues:
Thank you for your work and your dedication to the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. CEO Action for Racial Equity (CEOARE) is a Fellowship of more than 100 companies that mobilizes a community of business leaders with diverse expertise across multiple industries and geographies to identify, develop, and promote scalable and sustainable public policies that will address systemic racism and social injustice and improve societal well-being. This mission is centered on the vital issues of healthcare, education, economic empowerment, and public safety.
We are writing you today to share our support for An Act Regarding Racism as a Public Health Crisis, H.2400, presented by Representative Jon Santiago (D-MA 9th Suffolk District).
This legislation would take an important initial step of formally acknowledging the health inequities that exist across the Commonwealth. For instance, communities of color in Massachusetts are too often the lowest in resources and highest in negative health outcomes.1 Further, rates of heart failure, stroke hospitalization, and diabetes-related death are significantly higher for residents of color in Massachusetts than for white residents.2 If Massachusetts were to declare racism a public health crisis, it would also be joining the 11 other states who have already done so, as well as the 18 towns and cities within Massachusetts that have made declarations, including the state’s capital. Health inequities are not unique to Massachusetts; they are pervasive across the country. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, “Racism—both interpersonal and structural—negatively affects the mental and physical health of millions of people, preventing them from attaining their highest level of health, and consequently, affecting the health of our nation.”3 That is why CEOARE identified declarations of racism as a public health crisis to be a top priority. We believe action that takes a public health approach to address health inequities is essential for racial equity, and H.2400 would open the door to that solution.
CEO Action for Racial Equity is non-partisan and is committed to working with policymakers to enact policies that will bring equity, transparency, and accountability to our communities. Please contact Alan Pisano at alan.d.pisano@ceoactionracialequity.com if you would like to continue this conversation.
Thank you for your leadership.
Sincerely,
CEO Action for Racial Equity
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CC:
The Honorable Jon Santiago
Massachusetts Black and Latino Legislative Caucus
Citations
[1] Office of the Attorney General: Commonwealth of Massachusetts, “Building Toward Racial Justice and Equity in Health: A Call to Action” (November 18, 2020): 1& 4, https://www.mass.gov/info-details/building-toward-racial-justice-and-equity-in-health-a-call-to-action.
[2] Massachusetts Department of Public Health, ”Massachusetts State Health Assessment,” October 2017, available at https://www.mass.gov/service-details/2017-state-health-assessment.
[3] Racism and Health. (2021, November 24). Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Retrieved December 14, 2021, from https://www.cdc.gov/healthequity/racism-disparities/index.html
