Nashville Metro Council Adopts Second Resolution Declaring Racism ‘Public Health Crisis’

The Nashville Metro City Council on Tuesday voted to adopt a resolution declaring racism a “public health crisis” within Davidson County, marking the second time Nashville’s local lawmakers have passed such a resolution.

Originally sponsored by Councilwoman Kyonzté Toombs, the text of the resolution passed in Nashville states that black and minorities in face “significantly worse health outcomes than their white counterparts,” and claims these differences “are rooted in systemic racism.”

As evidence of the systemic racism causing health problems for non-white Nashvillians, Toombs’ resolution points to “historical justices like the construction of I-40 through North Nashville, which displaced a thriving Black community, the underfunding of Black educational institutions, contributing to ongoing inequities in education and health, and the fact that the 37208 zip code, which encompasses North Nashville, holds the highest incarceration rate in the nation for individuals born between 1980 and 1986.”

They also claim the health disparities caused by these factors was then “exposed and exacerbated” by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The resolution first passed the council’s Rules Confirmation, and Public Elections committee. While Councilman Jeff Preptit (District 25) confirmed that five members were present and voted in favor of the resolution, video of the meeting reveals as many as seven members were actually in attendance. Audio issues with the beginning of the meeting make it unclear which were present for the racism vote.

Toombs, when the resolution came before the full Metro Council, acknowledged the previous adoption of a similar resolution in 2020, and said the new resolution was motivated by an event she said the anti-racism organization YWCA USA has planned in Nashville later this month.

“The council did a similar resolution to this in 2020, declaring racism as a public health crisis,” said Toombs. “WYCA is having its stand against injustice community rally next Thursday the 26th,” she added, calling the resolution an example of “the council speaking out against systemic racism and the impact it has on health in our city and in our country.”

She argued, “This is he council taking a stand, recognizing those disparities, that systemic racism is a problem, lifting up the work that our health department already does and encouraging them to do more work so that we can eradicate the systemic racism and the impact that it’s had on our society.”

The 2020 resolution referenced by Toombs similarly declared racism a public health threat, but at the same time honored and supported those who were engaged in protests following the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

The council members declared in 2020, “protests across the county, including several in Nashville, are seeking to uproot and abolish the systemic racism that is woven into the fabric of the United States. These racially-diverse protests are drawing record numbers, even in the midst of an unprecedented pandemic that is also disproportionately impacting communities of color,” then vowed their support.

“It is imperative that the Metropolitan Council goes on record as standing with those who seek justice and equality, recognizing that racism is a public health crisis caused by generations of racism and racist policies, and committing to eradicating systemic racism and the creation of racially-equitable policies,” they declared.

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Tom Pappert is the lead reporter for The Tennessee Star, and also reports for The Pennsylvania Daily Star and The Arizona Sun Times. Follow Tom on X/Twitter. Email tips to [email protected].