LANSING, Mich. – A group of faith and civic leaders came together Wednesday to call on Lansing to do more to fight systemic racism. It comes as a resolution declaring racism a public health crisis has stalled in the State Senate despite broad support. “Racism is a public health crisis that has been exacerbated by the parallel pandemics of social unrest as it relates to police violence as well as the pandemic," Pressley said. “It’s disproportionally impacting Black and Brown communities.”But Pressley said this public health crisis is twofold,. So our desire is to increase the capacity of moral leadership again by calling it a Public Health Crisis," Pressley said.

LANSING, Mich. – The Ingham County Health Department Tuesday declared racism a public health crisis amid statewide and national unrest over the killing of Black Minneapolis man George Floyd. The Ingham County Board of Commissioners passed a resolution to declare the public health crisis and establish an advisory board to offer solutions that address racial injustice, officials said. “Racism is rampant across the country and Ingham County needs to be on the forefront in anti-racist action,” said Bryan Crenshaw, Chair of the Ingham County Board of Commissioners. MORE: Town hall addresses impact of COVID-19 on black community in Michigan“People of color are disproportionately affected by infant mortality, maternal mortality, diabetes, asthma, hypertension and even COVID-19,” said Ingham County Health Officer Linda S. Vail. Health disparities are the effect of a lifetime spent enduring racism in all of its forms, which compounds as it spans generations.