Here’s how Whatcom County Council is addressing racism and public health
Racism is a public health crisis, the Whatcom County Council said this week, adding its voice to a growing number of such declarations by governments and civic organizations nationwide.
The declaration passed 6-1, with Councilman Ben Elenbaas dissenting.
Elenbaas sought to include other social issues such as single-parent families in the document that describes chronic health concerns that many in the medical community agree are the result of centuries of systemic racism in American society.
“This document deals a lot about color and the color of people’s skin, and I think that the issues that we see are deeper, can be deeper, than just the color of people’s skin,” said Elenbaas, who represents the coastal Fifth District that includes Lummi Nation.
“When you look at race relations since 1960 till now, they’ve gotten better, they continue to get better, yet these health discrepancies have gotten worse,” Elenbaas said during the online meeting. “To look at it under the lens that it is only racism that is causing this or perpetuating it is incredibly short-sighted.”
In the resolution that passed Tuesday, Nov. 24, it is noted that in Whatcom County only 23% of American Indian or Alaska Native children and only 27% of Hispanic children entering kindergarten are ready for school, as opposed to 54% of white children.
Further, 66% of American Indian or Alaska Native 10th graders, 43% of Black 10th graders and 44% of multi-racial 10th graders in Whatcom County reported feeling depressed, as opposed to 36% of white 10th graders.
“I won’t dispute the facts,” said Councilwoman Kathy Kershner, who voted in favor. “We blame it all on racism, but where does that get us? And where does that take us?”
Members of Whatcom County’s appointed Public Health Advisory Board voted Sept. 3 to urge the County Council to approve such a statement about racism and its effects on public health — such as infant mortality, educational opportunities or life expectancy.
County Executive Satpal Sidhu praised the effort to pass the measure.
“I appreciate the Public Health Advisory Board’s strong advocacy for this resolution, and I was pleased to see it adopted by council after extensive discussion,” Sidhu told The Bellingham Herald in an email.
“On the same day, the council also approved the biennium budget, which includes funding for my proposal to create a countywide Racial Equity Commission. I am very hopeful that this commission will take the next steps, going beyond declarations and identifying specific actions to address systemic racism,” he said.
Elenbaas and Councilman Rud Browne worked with members of the health board to hone the language and include local health statistics, making the measure more relevant to Whatcom County.
“I think it’s an important statement,” said Councilman Todd Donovan.
Both King and Pierce counties have made such declarations, as have dozens of other communities and public agencies across the nation, including the American Public Health Association, National Association of County and City Health Officials, and the American Academy of Pediatrics.
In Bellingham, Mayor Seth Fleetwood is encouraging the City Council to take similar action, and he has said he might do it by executive order.
An increasing number of such measures have been proposed across the U.S. since the killings of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery and other unarmed people of color this year at the hands of police or white vigilantes.
Under the measure, Whatcom County employees will get periodic training on the topic of unconscious bias, county officials will examine their “policies, procedures, and ordinances to ensure racial equity and transparency,” elected officials will “promote diversity of race within the county boards and commissions,” and support “community efforts to alleviate issues of racism and bias, engaging actively and authentically with communities of color.”
In addition, the county will join GARE, the Government Alliance on Race and Equity.
