The Center for Black Health & Equity has publicly criticized Cleveland’s city leadership for their slow response to addressing significant health disparities faced by the Black community. On Monday, the organization held a press conference at Cleveland City Hall, urging immediate reforms.
“Despite the city of Cleveland’s official declaration of racism as a public health crisis, meaningful progress has been slow and our voices have been ignored,” stated Ashley Hebert, senior policy manager for The Center for Black Health & Equity. She was joined by representatives from the Northeast Ohio Black Health Coalition, Cuyahoga County Progressive Caucus, and Cleveland Lead Advocates for Safe Housing.
The speakers highlighted how gun violence, heart disease, and cancer are disproportionately impacting Cleveland’s Black residents. They criticized the sluggish progress in public health policies addressing key issues such as access to healthy food, lead poisoning testing for children, and restrictions on flavored tobacco and menthol cigarettes targeting youth.
