Councilor Ricardo Arroyo looks to make Boston fourth city in US to declare racism a public health crisis

RICARDO ARROYO

Newly elected City Councilor Ricardo Arroyo is about to file his first piece of legislation that would look to declare racism a public health crisis in Boston.

By Alexa Gagosz

For newly elected city official and Hyde Park native, City Councilor Ricardo Arroyo of District 5 has proved his allegiance to service since his days as a public defender to becoming the first person of color to hold his seat at 32 years old. Coming from a family line of “Latino firsts” within Boston’s political scene, the Arroyo name is no stranger to breaking down racial barriers. But for Councilor Arroyo, there’s still plenty of work that needs to be done.

On Wednesday, Arroyo seeks to file his first piece of legislation and give his maiden speech looking to declare racism a public health crisis in Boston with a potential multi-part solution. In a noon-time public hearing at City Hall, he will unveil the intention of creating an independent office that assesses the racial equity impact of all city policies, procedures, regulations, executive orders and legislation. The independent office would then make their findings public on how the proposed policy would either increase, decrease or have no impact on racial inequality.

Arroyo says the data is out there already that states racism is a driving force and barrier to health equity among children and adults. According to the Boston Public Health Commission, racism has an independent influence on all social determinants of health; including education, transportation, employment, housing, food access, among others.

“Latinos and Blacks in Boston have shorter life expectancies than other Boston residents,” said Arroyo in an interview with an El Mundo reporter on Monday night. “I ran on a concept that you’ve got to name things and then shame them to change them. And so this is a real attempt to take things that usually people think about in numbers and make them real.”

As of now, Arroyo says, there is no standard analysis within the city to examine the impact that legislation has on racial inequality before it goes out for a vote. By creating this independent office, he said it would guarantee that elected officials do their due diligence no matter who is in office.

“So now [voters are] actually electing folks not just to do that, but to push to do it in a bigger and better way,” said Arroyo, who serves as chairman of the Council’s Committee on Public Health.

If Boston goes ahead with the declaration, it would be the fourth city in the United States to do so. Milwaukee and Madison, Wisconsin both declared racism a public health crisis in May and October of 2019, respectively. Pittsburgh’s City Council followed suit in late December.

While fellow City Councilors will be able to weigh in after Arroyo’s presentation, he isn’t expecting many to turn down the idea of an independent office, but will look to see who would be willing to push the hardest for it.

“We’re talking about the largest purveyor of injustice in America. It’s racism,” said Arroyo. “If this didn’t work, then you’re no worse off than you are right now. But if it did work, you’re substantially better off than you are right now.”

The hearing will take place on Wednesday, March 4, at 12:00 p.m. in the Christopher A. Iannella Chamber on the fifth floor of City Hall and will be open to the public.