The Washtenaw Health Plan (WHP) is outraged once again over the clear and undeniable systemic racial injustices and police brutality we have witnessed in recent months in the deaths of Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, George Floyd, and Rayshard Brooks, to name a few. The Washtenaw Health Plan stands in solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement and all local, state, and national organizations that are pushing for accountability and change. As a healthcare safety net in Washtenaw County, the WHP will not be silent or passive in addressing racial injustice. We must be actively anti-racist. We acknowledge and accept that we operate in an infrastructure with a history of alienating and dividing the people we are here to serve in our community: Black people, Indigenous people, and other people of color. We will work to identify and eliminate racist policies and practices within our community and within our organization.
To do this, we recognize that:
1. Racism is structural, and often unconscious. Structural racism has created systems that foster discrimination and inequitable resource distribution through practices in housing, employment, education, health care, and criminal justice. The WHP’s current mission is based on filling gaps in access to healthcare that exist because of the systemic racism that silences the voices and needs of people of color. The WHP seeks to amplify the voices of those we serve and center our efforts based on their experiences. We will work with the Washtenaw County Health Department and our other community partners to improve access to equitable healthcare and mental health services by addressing structural racism.
2. Policing and racism are public health Issues: Existing laws and practices promote increased stress during interactions with law enforcement for Black people and people of color. While racism and police violence impact Black communities most intensely, other communities – especially Latinx and Arab immigrants – are subject to racism and police violence as well. Structural racism and systemic discrimination in policing increases barriers to health care and other health-supportive services. (See APHA Law Enforcement as Public Health Statement; APHA Statement on Racism as an Ongoing Public Health Crisis)
3. People of color have greater mistrust of health systems and poorer health outcomes as a result. This is evident in the stark health disparities in Washtenaw County and the disproportionate impact COVID-19 has had on Black residents. We are committed to examining our internal practices to make sure we are a vehicle to address structural racism and mistrust of the health system. The WHP’s dedication to serving Washtenaw County residents, especially Black people and immigrants, is predicated on trust, trust that we will work alongside our residents to overcome structural racism, trust that we are allies to immigrants, trust that we are a safe place to come and receive help. Our trust of those we serve – and our work to earn their trust – will be our guiding compass.
This work is ongoing and will not be finished anytime soon. We will be working towards racial justice and health equity in the years to come in the hopes that we may see a day when the Black members of our community and their allies no longer need to fill the streets in protest to be heard.
In Solidarity,
The Washtenaw Health Project Staff