Good morning, RVA: Racism is a public health crisis, HIGH COVID-19 level, and Juneteenth

Racism is still a public health crisis.

Good morning, RVA! It's 72 °F, and, oof, today looks hot. You can expect nearly triple-digit highs, a chance of storms after lunch, and every reason to stay inside next to a fan. Temperatures drop starting tomorrow, though, and it looks like we have a really pleasant long weekend ahead of us (for those of us who have Monday off). Enjoy it, y'all, and get some rest.

Water cooler

Fallout continues from the Washington Post's article about how the Virginia Department of Health's Comissioner has "rejected the state-recognized declaration that racism is a public health crisis and downplayed the role of racism in health disparities". This man is still, ultimately, my boss, so writing about this remains an anxiety-filled task. With that in mind, here are some quotes and links:

Mayor Levar Stoney released a statement that reads, in part, "The impact of racism on public health disparities among people of color is not anecdotal or subjective, it's science. Hiding from these realities doesn't make them go away. Dr. Greene needs to stop being a coward and do something about them. Virginia families are counting on him to do better"
The Governor released a statement that reads, "I am outraged that right now in Virginia a black mother is three times more likely to die from child birth and that hasn’t materially improved in a generation. We all must be laser-focused on closing the maternal health gaps. Our administration must have a common, unifying objective to deliver measurable results on behalf of women and especially those in communities of color where this substantial gap exists. We need to ensure we are addressing factors, including access to medical services and screening, prenatal care, nutrition, and counseling—which play important roles in a mother and child’s health. I was disappointed to hear that Dr. Greene did not effectively communicate our mission. Virginians must share the common objective to close maternal health gaps, reduce health disparities, and deliver on behalf of all women in the Commonwealth."
The Washington Post's Jenna Portnoy has a follow up article with quotes from Black legislators from across Virginia, including this one from Sen. McClellan, "The impact of decades and centuries of racist public policy under Jim Crow did not go away with a magic wand when laws were changed...I’m going to do something about it, I invite [the Youngkin administration] to join me in doing something about it or get out of the way.”
A growing list of health-focused organizations have signed a statement that "Denounces Commissioner Greene's Views on Racism and Public Health." Here's a quote from that statement: "The views espoused by Dr. Greene show a stubborn refusal to reflect and learn even when presented with facts and opportunities for growth. The individual leading Virginia’s public health efforts cannot hold these dismissive and harmful views and have any hope of meeting the unique health needs of every Virginia family. Understanding of the historical and modern-day impact of racism on the health and well-being of people of color is asking the bare minimum of anyone charged with leading public health initiatives." Interested organizations can sign on to the statement using this form.

Finally, VPM covers a press conference held by the Richmond and Henrico Health Districts (about other topics entirely) where one of my coworkers said, "I’m speaking for our local values, I can’t speak for other localities and central office...But I can say at the Richmond Henrico Health Districts, we acknowledge that structural and interpersonal racism contributes to health disparities, and we will continue to work to address that."

Richmond, Henrico, and Chesterfield, yet again, all remain in the high COVID-19 Community Level. The 7-day average case rate per 100,000 people in each locality respectively is: 247, 256, and 238. The 7-day average of new COVID-19 hospital admissions per 100,000 people is 11.4. This means that everyone—everyone!—regardless of vaccination status should be wearing masks in indoor public spaces. This is not going to be forever, I promise. Our current situation feels very plateauy, and, with any luck, we might fall off that plateau next week. But! Until then: Masks indoors, please!

OK, I am still not smart enough about the process of state government to have a good sense for what will happen with Virginia's budget. However, I do feel incrementally smarter after reading this really nice thread The Commonwealth Institute put together explaining what exactly the Governor's budget amendments _do_ and which ones we should worry about.

GRTC's got all the details on the City's plans to finally paint the median-running bus-only lanes red! Painting (or, coating in their words) begins this coming Tuesday, June 21st with the westbound lanes and continues through July 26th. You can, of course, expect disruptions in bus service, stops / stations, and other minor inconveniences as crews knock out this exciting project.

If you're looking for a list of Juneteenth events this weekend and beyond, Karen Newton at Style Weekly has you covered.

Speaking of...logistical note! Monday is a State holiday (Juneteenth, observed), so I'll be taking the day off from both life and this email. Should all go well, that day I'll return from my first ever bikepacking trip—wish me luck! Look for me in your inboxes on Tuesday, and have a great weekend.

This morning's longread
How Cities Responded to Traffic Deaths 100 Years Ago

Readers of this email will nod along knowingly to most of this piece. One of the most interesting parts of this article to me, though, was that rate of traffic fatalities per 100,000 people today is almost the same as it was 100 years ago.

For more than 90 years, there has been a tacit agreement in the US to treat the right to walk as dispensable, and to treat each death in traffic as an individual loss to be grieved privately, behind closed doors. These responses to the dangers of walking and biking have kept deaths among pedestrians and cyclists out of public view. They have promoted a tendency to attribute such deaths to individual failures for which individuals alone — reckless drivers or careless pedestrians — are responsible. But a century ago, judges defended pedestrians’ rights in city streets. The convenience of drivers was no grounds for infringing these rights. Any motorist driving too fast to avoid injuring or killing a pedestrian was regarded as speeding. Deaths to pedestrians, and especially to children, were regarded as intolerable public losses to be publicly grieved by the whole community.

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