WHEELING, W.Va. (AP) — Officials in a northern West Virginia city have unanimously approved a resolution declaring racism a health crisis.
Social justice movements across the nation helped spark Tuesday’s vote by the Wheeling City Council, which appears to be among the first in the state, news outlets reported.
The resolution says the city supports proactive and meaningful efforts to improve the quality of life and equity for each resident by seeking to reverse impacts of racism. The document directs the city manager to review policies and remove any racial bias, require municipal employees to complete implicit bias training and work toward building a more diverse and inclusive workforce.
Among the goals is to “find ways to be inclusive and representative of our communities,” Councilwoman Rosemary Ketchum said.
