In a landmark decision, the Sonoma County Board of Supervisors has passed a unanimous resolution labeling racism a public health crisis. This move by the local government highlights the importance of tackling racial health disparities head-on.

During a recent board meeting, Supervisor David Rabbitt expressed the county's commitment to reducing health disparities. "Our county has taken some critical steps towards addressing the health disparities that exist in our community, and we need to continue to focus on how we move the needle in a measurable way going forward," Rabbitt stated. DHS Director Tina Rivera also detailed her own experiences with racial trauma before a packed house.

As reported by the Sonoma County's official news release, the declaration follows disturbing data published in the 2021 update to the Portrait of Sonoma County. Findings show that Black residents die a decade earlier than other groups, and both Black and Latinx children are 2.5 times more likely to live in poverty when compared to their White peers. Additionally, Native Americans and Black individuals are disproportionately represented among the unhoused in Sonoma County.

"Systemic racism builds and takes its toll; it affects where we live, where we learn, where we worship and where we play. Silence will not serve us today," Rivera announced in a statement. The newly adopted resolution is a commitment to prioritizing health equity and restructuring the system that upholds these disparities.