Primary Submission Category: Policy
Initial Policy and Community Responses to the Racism is a Public Health Crisis Declaration in Milwaukee County, WI
Authors: Linnea Laestadius Lorraine Lathen Pammie Rebecca Yang Tajammal Yasin Michael Gonzalez Douglas Ihrke Young Cho
Presenting Author: Michael Gonzalez*
Policymakers have often failed to address existing laws that underpin racial health inequities. In the past two years, however, local governments have begun to lead the way in explicitly recognizing that racism is a public health crisis that requires policy actions beyond those taken to date. In May 2019, Milwaukee County, WI became the first locality in the U.S. to adopt such a resolution. Declarations represent only a starting point for change and questions arise as to what happens after they are made. Using Milwaukee County, WI as a case study, we aim to determine the initial policy and community responses to this type of declaration.
First, we performed a content analysis of Milwaukee County ordinances and resolutions with final actions taken between 2019 and 2021 (n=234) to assess the extent to which they address structural racism, equity, and/or the social determinants of health. Policies that mentioned racism were more likely to be adopted (87.9% vs. 70.7%; p<0.05). Overall, mentions of racism remained low at 16.9%. Of adopted policies (n=171), 71.9% addressed the social determinants of health or equity in some manner. However, policies focused heavily on symbolic actions (55.3%) or asking other government bodies to take action (33.3%).
Paired with this, we conducted online focus groups (n=6) with communities of color in Milwaukee County. Community perspectives suggest some skepticism toward the declaration, as well as a desire to see more concrete actions to address structural racism and improve representation in the county. Perceptions of challenges and solutions also varied across racial and ethnic groups.
Overall findings indicate that Milwaukee County, WI is still in the early stages of implementing policies to create structural change following the declaration. Findings emphasize the importance of continued stakeholder attention to implementation, as well the need for engaging with community members throughout the implementation process.