Following the death of George Floyd, the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments (COG) Board of Directors Chair Derrick Leon Davis and Vice Chairs Christian Dorsey and Robert C. White, Jr. released a statement on June 1 mourning his loss and the deaths of other unarmed Black Americans at the hands of law enforcement and calling on people to re-commit to racial justice and true equality and take action.
Leaders from across the region issued similar calls, acknowledging that the actions by Minneapolis police were part of a "broader system of racism," and that local government can play a role in correcting injustices and inequalities, and healing communities.
At the upcoming COG Board of Directors meeting on June 10, area health officials will discuss one facet of this important conversation—the need to address health inequities, especially those perpetuated by structural racism in the region. The disproportionate effect of the COVID-19 crisis on Black Americans is just the latest example of this decades-long problem.
According to a 2018 report produced by the Virginia Commonwealth University for COG, Uneven Opportunities: How Conditions for Wellness Vary across the Metropolitan Washington Region, and a new Health Equity brief based on the report, life expectancy varies by 28 years across the region. For example, African Americans account for 93 percent of the population in the five census tracts with the lowest life expectancies but only 7 percent of the population where life expectancy is highest.
The brief, Health Equity: How Opportunities for Health are Shaped by Race and Ethnicity, notes that minority communities “often have lower household incomes and less access to education, healthy foods, green space, affordable housing and transportation, and health care." Further, they often face greater exposure to health threats, including violence. For these reasons, a growing number of government, business, and non-profit leaders across the country have declared racism a public health crisis. Funders of the brief include: Healthcare Initiative Foundation, Potomac Health Foundation, Northern Virginia Health Foundation, Kaiser Permanente, and CareFirst Bluecross Blueshield.
Over the last year, COG's regional Racial Equity Cohort, an initiative held in in partnership with the Government Alliance on Race and Equity (GARE), has brought together 100 local government staff to have and help normalize these conversations about race, and encourage new policies and practices that advance racial equity in their jurisdictions. This year’s cohort has spent a considerable amount of time focused on health equity concerns related to COVID-19.
COG, in partnership with local governments, will continue to sharpen its focus on these issues, and elevate this work to create a better region.
Visit COG's Equity page for more information on the Racial Equity Cohort and other COG activities.