Michigan Governor Signs Order Calling Racism a Public Health Crisis

Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (D) signed an executive order on Wednesday, officially declaring racism a public health crisis.

In an effort to “elevate Black voices,” the order also mandates that a state advisory council centered around Black leadership be created. Additionally, Whitmer wants the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services to have all state employees complete implicit bias training in an effort to “make health equity a major goal.”

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Michigan isn’t the first state to declare racism a public health crisis; Colorado and Wisconsin have done so recently as well. On a more local level, municipalities in 19 states have taken similar steps, including California, Pennsylvania and Texas.

Many of the declarations come after the American Public Health Association (APHA) declared systemic racism a public health crisis at the beginning of June {snip}

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