During the summer of 2020, both the Cleveland City Council and the County Council of Cuyahoga County passed resolutions declaring racism a public health crisis. They established citizen task forces to recommend strategies, policies and programs to implement at the city and county levels to advance racial equity, particularly within the areas of health care, criminal justice, access to healthy foods, housing, economic opportunities, transportation, education, and safe places to be active.
As part of the Center for Civic Engagement & Learning’s (CCEL) February spotlight on “Advocacy” as a form of civic engagement that contributes to social change, the CCEL Student Executive Council has convened a virtual panel discussion with changemakers from Cuyahoga County. Titled “Declaring Racism a Public Health Crisis,” the event will be held Friday, Feb. 26, from 4:45 to 6 p.m. via Zoom.
The panelists, who were influential in advocating for the passage of these resolutions and who serve on the citizen task forces, will feature:
- Margaret Mitchell, president and CEO of YWCA Greater Cleveland;
- Bernie Kerrigan, executive director at First Year Cleveland; and
- Danielle Sydnor, president of the Greater Cleveland Branch of the NAACP.
They will share more about the resolutions and changes they would like to see implemented.This event is open to the CWRU community. Register to attend.