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Ohio House Minority Leader Rep. Emilia Sykes: Why Racism is a Public Health Crisis

George Floyd’s murder on Memorial Day weekend at the hands of Minneapolis officer Derick Chauvin and his three supporting officers has re-engergized the Black Lives Matter movement. While police brutality is the movement's central focus, addressing broader health disparities is a critical part of racial justice.

On this week's Prognosis Ohio, Dan Skinner talks with the Ohio House Minority Leader, State Representative Emilia Sykes, about the Black Lives Matter movement and the Democratic caucus's interoduction of a resolution to officially declare racism a major public health crisis. 

***LISTEN TO THE EPISODE***

You can read more about the declaration of racism as a public health crisis and about the 11 committed actions within it here.

You can find more about Representative Sykes and her accomplishments on the Ohio House website here or on her own website here.

Each week we shine some light on good work being done to promote health around our state. Considering the focus of this week’s show, and our guest’s home town of Akron Ohio, we would love it if you’d go visit the Akron NAACP. Read about the organization’s history, the important work it does - especially these days in ensuring the integrity of our elections and access to the vote. But also important initiatives in education, health, and other areas where equity and justice are at stake. Visit http://www.naacpakron.org/ to learn about the NAACP Akron and consider making a donation.

Produced by Dan Skinner and Mark Frantz

Contact Prognosis Ohio: prognosisohio@gmail.com 

Follow Prognosis Ohio on Twitter: @prognosisohio 

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Dr. Dan Skinner is Associate Professor of Health Policy in the Department of Social Medicine at Ohio University, Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine, on the Dublin, Ohio campus. He earned his Ph.D. in political science from the City University of New York. Skinner teaches and researches about, as well as advocates for increased access to health care, especially for underserved populations, as well as various aspects of social determinants that affect the health of communities, in Ohio and beyond.