Rather than trying to find short-term solutions, the group is doing long-term work, said Mockabee, who also serves as president and CEO of the Urban League of Greater Cleveland. That means the process will take time, she said.
Mockabee and her fellow RAPHC-C co-chair, YWCA Greater Cleveland CEO Helen Forbes Fields, joined leaders of the NAACP Cleveland Branch, Birthing Beautiful Communities, First Year Cleveland, and the United Way of Greater Cleveland to answer questions such as why it can be difficult to talk about racism. Panelists said that many people have been taught racism is something that happened years ago, rather than something that’s still embedded in laws, government, and other systems.
Racism, not race, causes racial health disparities such as shorter life expectancies and higher infant and maternal mortality rates, Margolius said. The three city leaders gave examples of ways they would like to see racism addressed as a public health crisis. Howse wants all city of Cleveland employees to participate in training on trauma-informed care.