FILE – In this Friday, March 20, 2020, file photo, Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot listens to a question during a news conference in Chicago. A protest and march against Lightfoot is scheduled for Thursday, May 20, 2021. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast, File)
The mayor of Chicago has declared racism a public health emergency while citing the disparity of life expectancy between races in the city. Democrat Lori Lightfoot addressed the issue during a press conference Thursday.
This came after the Chicago Health Department released data showing black residents on average live about nine years less than non-black residents. Lightfoot said the difference in life expectancy has only increased over the past 10 years.
“When we think about racism. many of us think about it’s visible and audible forms, but the reality is the insidious nature of systemic racism has other impacts that are as every bit deep and harmful,” stated the Chicago mayor.
The State of Health for Blacks in Chicago is a stark reminder of the legacy of unacceptable inequities that continue to plague our city and country to this day. pic.twitter.com/mtrc9SYM4v
— Mayor Lori E. Lightfoot (@chicagosmayor) June 17, 2021
Meanwhile, Lightfoot has failed to address a major uptick in gun violence over the past year while asking the federal government earlier this week to help address the problem.
Source: One America News Network
