Equitable Governance

Arizona

• Pima County: On December 1, 2020, the Pima County Board of Supervisors declared that racial and ethnic health inequities and income inequality in Pima County was a public health crisis. The Board further directed the County Administrator to support a county-wide strategy to address health inequities, promote health equity in Board policies and procedures, and advocate for local, regional, and national policies that improve the health of communities of color.

California

• Contra Costa County: On November 10, 2020, the Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors declared racism an urgent public health emergency affecting the entire County community. The Board further resolved that Contra Costa Health Services, the largest department of Contra Costa County government, will hire a Chief Equity Officer to align and build on health equity efforts within the department and across the county and participate as a host organization in the community planning process to establish a County Office of Racial Equity and Social Justice.
• Mono County: On October 13, 2020, the Mono County Board of Supervisors affirmed in a resolution that racism is a public and mental health crisis that results in disparities in all aspects of community life. The Board further directed the County Administrative Officer and county staff to develop a work plan that includes the formation of a Justice, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (JEDI) Commission to guide the County’s effort in this realm.
• Los Angeles County: On July 21, 2020, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors passed an antiracist policy agenda directing immediate action to develop a strategic plan, evaluate existing policies and commission an annual report on the State of Black Los Angeles County.
• Riverside County: On August 4, 2020, the Riverside County Board of Supervisors resolved to assert that racism is a public health crisis and to actively seek to increase diversity across the County workforce and in leadership positions. The Board further pledged to support the creation of a Riverside County task force and develop initiatives and programs to fight systemic racism and implicit bias in all aspects of community life.
• Sacramento County: On November 17, 2020, the Sacramento County Board of Supervisors approved a resolution asserting that racism is a public health crisis affecting their community and committing to ensure the consistent collection, analysis and reporting of disaggregated data to assess, evaluate and measure progress towards eliminating racial inequities.
• San Bernardino County: On June 23, 2020, San Bernardino County resolved to actively participate in the dismantling of racism and identified nine key actions, including “studying and evaluating existing County policies and practices through a lens of racial equity and [to] support policies that prioritize health in an equitable way.”
• San Diego County: On January 12, 2021, the San Diego County Board of Supervisors declared racism a public health crisis and passed policies such as creating a County Racial Equity Action Plan, supporting community efforts and engaging actively and authentically with communities of color to combat racism and improve racial equity in San Diego County.
• Santa Barbara County: On April 6, 2021, the Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors declared that racism and social inequities have created a public health crisis affecting not only Santa Barbara County but the entire nation. In addition to offering learning opportunities for employees and incorporating diversity, equity and inclusion into organizational practices, the Board also pledged to support the county public health department in establishing a countywide working group to address the inequities in and improve the delivery of health and human services for underserved populations.
• Santa Clara County: On June 23, 2020, the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors resolved to support efforts to address public health disparities due to racial inequities throughout Santa Clara County.
• Santa Cruz County: On August 18, 2020, the Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors resolved to assert that racism is a public health crisis affecting society and will assess internal policies and procedures to ensure racial equity is a core element of the County. The resolution includes 11 actions, such as promoting community engagement, training all elected officials and staff on racial biases in the workplace and how to mitigate them, and securing resources to accomplish their goals.
• Ventura County: On November 10, 2020, the Ventura County Board of Supervisors declared that racism and social inequities have created a public health crisis in Ventura County and across the country. The Board made several pledges to address the racial disparities existing in the county, including to establish an advisory group on policing policies and procedures and a working group to study the delivery and improvement of healthcare services for underserved populations.
• Yolo County: On July 21, 2020, the Yolo County Board of Supervisors affirmed that racism creates health inequities and resolved to endeavor to erase the damage of racism by ensuring meaningful progress in improving inequalities in physical and mental health, education, employment, public safety, the judicial system and housing.

Colorado

• Boulder County: On November 9, 2020, the Board of County Commissioners of Boulder County and the Boulder County Board of Health jointly committed to five actions to tackle racism and the health inequities therefrom in Boulder County, including the development and implementation of the Boulder County Office of Transformational Racial Equity and Justice, which is set to drive and support the county’s ongoing and evolving work around antiracism and racial equity.
• Denver County: On June 8, 2020, the Council of the City and County of Denver proclaimed acknowledgement that the effects of intergenerational racism are a public health crisis and to support agency work plans to address and correct embedded policies that discriminate and perpetuate racism.
• Jefferson County: On June 16, 2020, the Jefferson County Board of Health resolved to request Jefferson County Public Health to assess internal policies, develop policy platforms that address systemic racism, and enhance data collection and analyses that produce a justice-informed community health improvement plan.

Florida

• Hillsborough County: On September 16, 2020, the Hillsborough County Board of County Commissioners resolved to assert that racism is a public health crisis affecting the County and identified 10 key actions for enhancing equity and diversity, including continuing to advocate locally and through NACo for relevant policies that improve health in Black communities.
• Manatee County: On November 10, 2020, the Manatee County Board of County Commissioners adopted a proclamation asserting that racism is a public health crisis and identified nine action items to promote diversity and racial equity within Manatee County, including continuing to advocate locally and through NACo for relevant policies that improve health in Black communities.

Georgia

• DeKalb County: On June 15, 2020, the Governing Authority of DeKalb County passed a resolution declaring racism as a public health crisis. Under this resolution, the Chief Executive Officer and the Board of Commissioners has committed to progress as an equity and justice-oriented organization and support, promote and advocate for policies that improve health in communities of color. The Governing Authority will also assess progress and capitalize on opportunities to further advance racial equity.
• Fulton County: On January 20, 2021, the Fulton County Board of Commissioners declared that racism is a public health crisis in Fulton County and established a “Taskforce for Racial Equity in All Policies” to study and evaluate existing county policies, services and programs from a race and equity perspective. The Board encouraged community partners and stakeholders to recognize racism as a public health crisis and to activate all methods for rooting out racism in their policies, practices and partnerships.

Kentucky

• Louisville Jefferson County Metro Government: On December 1, 2020, Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer declared racism a public health crisis in Louisville-Jefferson County and ordered Louisville Metro Government to take a number of steps to dismantle systemic racism, which include working with the community and Louisville Metro Police Department on policing reform, increasing and supporting Black-owned businesses and Black home ownership, and investing in tech training and job opportunities to increase Black employment in Louisville.

Illinois

• Cook County: On July 25, 2019, the Cook County Board of Commissioners resolved to support efforts to address public health disparities due to racial inequities throughout Cook County to include recommending “solutions to overcome racism.”

Indiana

• Marion County: On June 8, 2020, the City County Council of Indianapolis and Marion County resolved to proactively engage in the dismantling of racism and identified seven core actions, including a call to all city and county elected officials and departments “to continue, with urgency, the review of policies and procedures for the purposes of eradicating implicit and explicit racial bias and develop instead policies and procedures that build racial equity.”
• St. Joseph County: On July 15, 2020, the St. Joseph County Board of Health resolved to engage in frank and open discussions of race and the impact of board decisions on racial inequities and seek greater diversity in board membership. The resolution also commits the board to holding the County’s Department of Health accountable through tangible actions, including using data to identify and reduce health disparities and recruit, hire and deploy community health workers of color with “lived experience” to strengthen relationships between the Department and the communities it serves.

Maryland

• Anne Arundel County: In November 2019, County Executive Steuart Pittman’s administration declared its plan to treat racism as a public health issue to include “establishing mechanisms to research and better understand racism and discrimination in the county.”
• Montgomery County: On June 16, 2020, the Montgomery County Council passed a resolution declaring racism as a public health crisis. Through this declaration, the council has committed to becoming an equity and justice-oriented organization dedicated to understanding the impacts of racism in its past work and promoting racial equity and social justice through advocacy and policy.
• Prince George’s County: On July 21, 2020, the County Council of Prince George’s County resolved to assert that racism is a crisis of public health, public safety and economic welfare because of its effect on the entire county community. The Council further committed to establishing a Racial Equity Task Force to deactivate systemic and structural racism in Prince George’s County and expressed support for the creation of a county law enforcement officers’ use-of-force register/database and a use-of-force oversight body.
• Fredrick County: On March 18th, 2021, the Frederick County Executive and County Health Officer declared racism and its intergenerational effects a public health crisis in Frederick County. The county’s declaration identifies specific objectives, procedures, and policies internally and externally to ensure racial and health equity throughout the county. Additionally, Frederick County will advocate for relevant policy and build partnerships with other government and non-governmental organizations to address racial equity issues.

Michigan

• Genesee County: On June 10, 2020, the Genesee County Board of Commissioners branded racism as a public health crisis. The Board of Commissioners joined the Genesee County Health Board in its public health declaration and pledged that the county health department will pursue policies targeted at improving health in the Black community and other communities of color.
• Ingham County: On June 9, 2020, the Ingham County Board of Commissioners adopted a resolution declaring racism as a public health crisis in the county. Through this resolution, the county is recommitting its full attention to addressing the quality of life and health for Black Ingraham County residents by advocating for policies that improve health in the Black community and assessing current and proposed laws and policies to promote health for people of color within the county.
• Kalamazoo County: On June 16, 2020, the Kalamazoo County Board of Commissioners resolved to recommit its “full attention to improving the quality of life and health of Black Kalamazoo residents” through policy advocacy and the assessment of current and proposed laws and practices.
• Washtenaw County: On July 1, 2020, the Washtenaw County Board of Commissioners adopted a resolution declaring racism as a public health crisis. The resolution makes the Commission responsible for enacting policies that include increasing the budget for the Public Health Department and Office of Racial Equity, setting and reviewing the county budget through a racial equity frame, increasing the number of Community Advisory Board for Law Enforcement (CABLE) members and working with the Sheriff’s Office to ensure an anti-racist and holistic approach to public safety.
• Wayne County: On July 2, 2020, the Wayne County Commission adopted a resolution decrying racism as a public health crisis. The county’s adopted resolution outlines plans that will help bring change to the county, including enhancing diversity, upholding anti-racism principles and encouraging ongoing racial equality training for employees, partners and contractors.
• Muskegon County: On July 7th, 2020, the Muskegon County Board of County Commissioners declared racism a public health crisis affecting all residents of the county and all citizens nationwide. The commission further resolved the county would assess internal and external procedures to ensure racial equity is a core element of county policy. To meet the county’s goals the board declared the creation of a Social Justice Commission comprised of county leaders, employees, and community members to derive community solutions to address racial injustice and its legacy within the county.  

Minnesota

• Hennepin County: On June 23, 2020, the Hennepin County Board of Commissioners declared racism as a public health crisis that affects all of Hennepin County. As a part of its resolution, the County Board has directed the Hennepin County Administration to develop an implementation timeline for actions that will be taken by the county that will address health-related disparities and outcomes in the county.
• Olmsted County: On August 4, 2020, the Olmsted County Board of Commissioners recognized that inequity associated with race and racism is a public health issue; they further resolved to direct the Olmsted County Public Health Services Advisory Board and the Olmsted County Human Rights Commission to jointly study and investigate this issue with special emphasis on the services the County provides.

North Carolina

• Buncombe County: On June 26, 2020, the Buncombe County Health and Human Services Board adopted a resolution committing to 10 key actions in advancing racial equity, which include supporting and championing all policies that promote the health of people of color by mitigating exposure to adverse childhood experiences and childhood trauma and partnering and building alliances with local organizations that have a history of confronting racism.
• Cabarrus County: On September 24, 2020, the Cabarrus County Public Health Authority Board asserted that racism is a public health crisis affecting Cabarrus County and proclaimed Juneteenth (June 19th) as a paid holiday for Cabarrus Health Alliance staff. Other actionable items in the proclamation include collaborating with organizations working in diversity, equity and inclusion to train board members and staff, and building alliances and partnerships with other organizations that are confronting racism.
• Chatham County: On August 24, 2020, the Chatham County Board of Health declared structural racism as an ongoing public health crisis and pledged to mitigate the associated health disparities by working with governing bodies of the County and local partners on anti-racism initiatives, and reviewing the Health Department’s policies, practices and services to address concerns of discrimination related to structural racism, access to care, affordable housing and community education.
• Durham County: On June 8, 2020, the Durham Board of County Commissioners resolved to work towards achieving racial equity, including working “to progress as an equity and justice-oriented organization, with the Board of Commissioners and its staff leadership continuing to identify specific activities to further enhance diversity and to ensure antiracism principles across Board of Commissioners leadership, staffing and contracting.”
• Mecklenburg County: On June 16, 2020, Mecklenburg County resolved to treat racism with the “urgency and funding of a public health crisis.” The county will seek to “promote racial equity through policies approved by the Board of Commissioners and will encourage other local, state and national entities to recognize racism as a public health crisis as well.”
• New Hanover County: On July 13, 2020, the New Hanover County Board of Commissioners approved a resolution that declares racism as a public health crisis. The resolution calls on county officials to research, analyze and make meaningful changes to dismantle systemic racism. Additionally, the county will promote racial equity through policies approved by the Board of Commissioners.
• Pitt County: On August 3, 2020, the Pitt County Board of Commissioners resolved to acknowledge that racism can form the basis for a public health crisis affecting the entire Pitt County and should be treated with the urgency and funding of a public health crisis. The Board encourages other local, state and national entities to recognize racism as a public health crisis as well.
• Wake County: On July 6, 2020, the Wake County Board of Supervisors resolved to recognize the integral role of racism in the founding of our country and in large health disparities in the county today. The county committed to promoting policies as a board that focus on diversity, inclusion and equity and encouraged other government entities to follow suit.

Nebraska

• Douglas County: On June 17, 2020, the Douglas County Board of Health declared that racism has resulted in a “health divide” with increased premature death rates, infant mortality rates and other overwhelmingly negative consequences in communities of color. The county committed to establishing an Office of Health Equity and Racial Justice, supporting policies that prioritize the health of communities of color and reassessing internal policies and procedures through a lens of inclusivity and health equity.
• Lancaster County: On September 8, 2020, the Lincoln-Lancaster County Board of Health resolved that the Lincoln-Lancaster County Health Department will ensure the consistent collection, analysis and reporting of disaggregated data for all public health efforts with data visualization and description of said data.

Nevada

• Clark County: On November 3, 2020, the Clark County Board of Commissioners declared that systematic and structural racism is a public health crisis magnified by the COVID-19 pandemic and that it causes “the single most profound economic and social challenge facing Clark County and the State of Nevada.” The Board further asserted that all Clark County residents shall have equal consideration and opportunity under the laws, policies and practices of the county and state.

New York

• New York City: On October 19, 2021, the New York City Board of Health declared racism a public health crisis and requests that the NYC Health Department expand the work done to date to address the health impacts of racism in NYC. The Board of Health further resolved to establish a Data for Equity internal working group, make recommendations on anti-racism health-related Charter revisions to the Mayoral Racial Justice Commission and perform an anti-racist review of the NYC Health Code.

Ohio

• Franklin County: On May 19, 2020, the Franklin County Board of Commissioners declared their commitment to identifying opportunities to work to enhance diversity and antiracism principles, advocating for relevant policies and emphasizing racial equity training among staff, leadership, community partners and others.
• Montgomery County: On June 11, 2020, the Montgomery County Board of County Commissioners resolved to declare racism a public health crisis, identifying it as a root cause of poor health outcomes and other social determinants. The Board also reaffirmed a number of targeted action items, including directing economic development resources toward minority communities and developing a new “Career and Innovation Center.”
• Summit County: On June 16, 2020, the Summit County Council Committee-of-the-Whole resolved to declare racism a public health crisis and establish this year a Special Review Committee to identify action steps in promoting racial equity in the county.
• Lorain County: On June 17, 2020, the Lorain County commissioners unanimously voted to declare racism a public health crisis and pledged to participate in a joint-county working group, advocate, train and continue to identify steps to reduce the long-term impact of racism on health disparities.
• Lucas County: On June 2, 2020, the Board of Lucas County Commissioners declared racism a public health crisis affecting Lucas County and affirmed eight actions to advance diversity and antiracism principles across the Board of County Commissioners. These actions include promoting equity through all policies approved by the Board, enhancing educational efforts aimed at dismantling racism and advocating at all levels of government for the health of communities of color.
• Cuyahoga County: On July 7, 2020, the Cuyahoga County resolved to commit resources in all areas of its government to address racism and its resulting disparities and request a status report from the County Equity Commission and County Citizens Advisory Council by the end of the year.
• Hamilton County: On July 16, 2020, the Hamilton County Board of County Commissioners resolved to declare racism a public health crisis and outline tangible next steps including engagement with racial justice work, examination of current institutions including health and providing implicit bias training to officers through the county sheriff’s office.

Oregon

• Multnomah County: On April 8, 2021, the Multnomah County Board of Commissioners declared racism a public health crisis and named racism a root cause of health inequities impacting all people living in the US. Multnomah County will further apply a public health approach to all county policy development, with components such as collecting and analyzing data, conducting research and monitoring progress to ensure that policies adopted by the county are data-driven and have built-in accountability measures.

• Lane County: On April 21st, 2021, Lane County’s Board of County Commissioners resolved and ordered the Lane County Board of Health to declare a public health crisis in the county. The order further directed an equity lens to be applied to data collection to evaluate county policies and to represent the story of the BIPOC community better. Finally, the commissioners ordered the County Board of Health to provide biannual updates on the resolutions declared actions.  

   

Pennsylvania

• Allegheny County: On May 5, 2020, the Allegheny County Council recognized racism as a public health crisis and committed itself to building partnerships with entities confronting racism and continuing to create internal policies and assessments focused on race equity.
• Erie County: On September 8, 2020, the Erie County Council resolved to commit to openly and honestly address racism to eliminate disparity in healthcare, healthy food, safe and affordable housing, well-paying jobs and business ownership opportunities, quality transportation, educational opportunities and safe places to be active.

Tennessee

• Shelby County: On June 23, 2020, the Shelby County commissioners recognized racism as a pandemic, aligning themselves with the chief executive officers of three of Tennessee’s largest hospitals, and committed their body to enacting policies that will strive to eradicate the effects of systemic racism against Black people.

Texas

• Dallas County: On June 16, 2020, the Dallas County Commissioners Court affirmed their dedication to promote equity through policy, advocacy and community partnerships and committed to instituting racial equity training among Court leadership and staff.
• Harris County: On June 30, 2020, the Harris County commissioners declared racism a public health crisis and resolves to develop policies, programs and services aimed at dismantling systemic racism, develop strong partnerships with organizations and residents impacted by racism to dismantle racism and protect the health and well-being of its residents and ensure complete and regular availability of race and ethnicity data to document racial and ethnic inequities and reach sustainable solutions.

Washington

• Clark County: On December 1, 2020, the Clark County Board of Health declared systemic racism is a public health crisis. The Board charged the Clark County Department of Public Health to assess internal policies and procedures to eliminate race-based decisions and actions, and to partner with community agencies and organizations to co-create solutions to racial disparities.
• Jefferson County: On October 15, 2020, the Jefferson County Board of Health declared racism a public health crisis and pledged commitment to ongoing efforts around race and equity, including participating in racial equity training, seeking diversity in board membership, working towards antiracist policies and practices as well as engaging and being responsive to communities impacted by racism.
• King County: On June 16, 2020, the Board of Health of King County declared racism a public health crisis and commits to revising its guiding documents and its policies with a racial justice and equity lens including the Board of Health Code and annual workplan and to ongoing work around race and equity such as participating in racial equity training and engaging and being responsive to communities and residents impacted by racism.
• Spokane County: On August 6, 2020, the Spokane Regional Health District’s Board of Health resolved that the District will lead, engage and call-to-action the community, partners and other local jurisdictions in strategic partnerships to develop and implement policies to eliminate health inequities in the Spokane region. Specifically, the District will provide institutional means for those most impacted by racism to participate in decision-making on policies, programs, services and interventions.
• Tacoma‐Pierce County: On June 17, 2020, the Tacoma‐Pierce County board of health passed a resolution declaring racism a public health crisis and directing the health department to take specific actions including assess internal policies and procedures to address and reform structures that contribute to race; reshape our discourse to actively engage in anti‐racist work; review their budget and make recommendations for funding changes, allocations or re‐allocations that fund the work of transforming systemic racism; partner with the community to co‐create solutions; and promote policy and system level changes to move beyond equity only and undo racist structures.
• Thurston County: On March 9, 2021, the Thurston County Board of County Commissioners declared that racism is a local crisis threatening the health, safety and wellbeing of county residents. To mitigate such negative impacts, Thurston County will create a county Racial Equity Action Plan by June 30, 2021, and establish a policy advisory committee to advise the Board of County Commissioners on policies and practices facilitating racial equity across county government.
• Whatcom County: On November 24, 2020, the Whatcom County Board of Health passed a resolution affirming that racism constitutes a public health crisis in Whatcom County and committed to actively participating in dismantling systemic racism through educational training for all county officials and staff, assessing and revising county department policies and procedures and other actions.

Wisconsin

• Brown County: On February 22, 2021, the Brown County Board of Supervisors adopted a resolution in which they asserted that racism is a public health crisis affecting the entire society. On the same day, the Board of Supervisors approved the creation of a nine-member Racial Equity Ad Hoc Committee whose purpose is to build an action plan with strategies and recommendations for addressing racial equity and support concerns in Brown County.
• Dane County: On July 9, 2020, the Dane County Board passed a resolution recognizing racism as a public health crisis and committing to continue to implement equitable and anti-racist policies and practices to create a justice-and equity-oriented county and society.
• Eau Claire County: On July 22, 2020, the Eau Claire County Board of Supervisors voted 7-0 to adopt a resolution recognizing racism as a public health crisis in Eau Claire County and supporting action steps to collaborate with partners within the county and surrounding area to respond to the crisis.
• Kenosha County: On August 4, 2020, the Kenosha County Board of Supervisors resolved to support efforts to address public health disparities due to racial inequities throughout Kenosha County. The resolution includes six key actions, including providing tools to assist employees to engage actively and authentically with communities of color and supporting local, state and federal initiatives that advance social justice.
• Milwaukee County: On May 20, 2019, Milwaukee County became the first county in the country to declare racism as a public health crisis. Citing the City of Milwaukee’s highly segregated structure and resultant health disparities among its racial populations, Milwaukee County resolved to assess internal policy and procedures to ensure racial equity is a core element, increase diversity across the county workforce and leadership, advocate for policies that improve health in communities of color, and encourage other local, state and national entities to recognize racism as a public health crisis.
• Rock County: On June 25, 2020, the Rock County Board of Supervisors passed a resolution declaring racism as a public health crisis and resolving to advocate for policies that improve health in communities of color, eliminate health and opportunity gaps along racial lines and increase the success of all groups by distributing resources justly across all communities.
• La Crosse County: On April 13th, 2021, the La Crosse County Board of Commissioners declared racism a public health crisis affecting our entire society. The board resolved to conduct an internal and external assessment of county policies in collaboration with the La Crosse County Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Committee. The declaration also included a commitment to work with local and national partners to advocate for relevant policies to improve health outcomes for communities of color and confront racism.