At the close of 2019, Pittsburgh declared embedded racism “a public health crisis affecting our entire city.” This was an act of recognition by the city’s leaders of the profound impact of racial inequities on the health of its black and brown residents. It is easy to understand the threats to neighborhoods made proximate to landfills, industrial parks, chemical plants, and other sources of toxic air, water, and soil. Less obvious are the ongoing assaults from the cultural and social pollution of white supremacy.
At the close of 2019, Pittsburgh declared embedded racism “a public health crisis affecting our entire city.” This was an act of recognition by the city’s leaders of the profound impact of racial inequities on the health of its black and brown residents. It is easy to understand the threats to neighborhoods made proximate to landfills, industrial parks, chemical plants, and other sources of toxic air, water, and soil. Less obvious are the ongoing assaults from the cultural and social pollution of white supremacy.
Comments