Racism is now a public health crisis in Manatee. Some officials took that personally
Compassion and skepticism swirled around a candid conversation about race in Manatee County as officials adopted a proclamation that labeled racism as a public health crisis.
Commissioner Reggie Bellamy, the Board of County Commissioner’s only Black representative, read the resolution, which highlighted a bevy of health and wealth issues that disproportionately affect African American residents throughout the county.
“We know that we are in trying times and we have an opportunity,” Bellamy said, urging residents to connect with minority groups and “extend an ear” to learn about the struggles they face.
According to data from the U.S. Census and the Florida Department of Health, Black residents in Manatee County are more likely to suffer from diabetes, obesity, cancer and strokes. In Manatee, Black residents are also more likely to face unemployment and far less likely to own a home.
“From the day I was born to this date, I still deal with racial issues,” Bellamy said.
Not everyone supported the wording of the proclamation. In a rare move, Commissioner Vanessa Baugh and Steve Jonsson voted against accepting the proclamation Tuesday morning, citing concerns about the wording.
“The way I read it, it came out as this group here, we’re all a bunch of racists. As leaders, we’re not doing enough or all you need, and I take exception to that,” Jonsson explained. “I think we do a really good job of trying to find as much money as we can to help the Black community.”
“I was kind of insulted. I’ve been here 40-something years. I’ve hired a lot of people of color, and I certainly don’t consider myself a racist. This is worded pretty harshly. It was just something that bothered me,” he added.
Baugh explained that she voted against the proclamation because she felt it didn’t go far enough to address health issues for other groups, like Hispanic and white residents.
“It’s not just Blacks. It’s everyone in this county,” Baugh said. “I just didn’t think this was the right way to go about it. There’s a lot of other people affected, just as you say, and we’re leaving them out. It’s people of all color. I don’t think any color should be left out of the equation.”
But the proclamation is specific to Black residents because they are the ones who are subjected to these issues, Bellamy explained. Those facts were confirmed by other health experts, including Dr. Jennifer Bencie with the Florida Department of Health in Manatee County and Patrick Carnegie,president and CEO of MCR Health.
“What Commissioner Bellamy read are the facts,” Carnegie said. “You have to ask yourself: If you have a problem with seeing the facts, what’s really your issue?”
Bellamy also took a firm stance against Jonsson and Baugh, noting that his lived experience as a Black man proves that there are still racial hurdles to solve throughout the community.
“The thing you all need to realize is that you all have to have a different focus lens. Regardless of how it was interpreted, we need to take a stance,” Bellamy said.
Other board members said they supported the proclamation and recognized racism to be an issue that doesn’t just affect Manatee but the entire country.
“I agree with Commissioner Jonsson,” said Commissioner Betsy Benac. “(The proclamation) was harsh in some ways, but could I say it was wrong? I couldn’t find a misstatement in the proclamation. You’ve got to make people aware of the issues. You’ve got to have awareness.”
Members of the public were split over whether the proclamation was the right way to move forward. Some speakers shared experiences of racism in their own lives, while others downplayed the importance of realizing racial equity.
“I had a friend ask how racism is a health issue. I thought about it and growing up in the south, I did a self-evaluation of my life and I thought about how many times have I experienced racism and the impact it’s had on my psyche,” said Susie Copeland, a former president of the Manatee NAACP chapter. “We have to look at it as a mental health issue. When there are acts of racism afflicted upon them, you don’t know how that makes someone feel.”
Xtavia Bailey, president of the Manatee Tiger Bay Club, spoke in support of the proclamation. She said she believed systematic racism is what made doctors dismiss her symptoms for an entire year before she was diagnosed with lupus as a teenager.
“Nobody thought to keep checking,” Bailey said. “When I got to All Children’s Hospital, I had 11 symptoms of lupus. Let’s stop making this political. All Reggie is doing as Black commissioner is saying that these are problems in my community, and we’re going to start addressing them.”
Some residents said they had an issue with promoting Black issues over the problems facing other communities.
“I can fully support that I don’t want racism to be part of my life or anybody else’s life. To call this a public health crisis is actually militantly political,” said Michelle Martin, who accused the proclamation of being part of a “socialist agenda.”
“I’m just appalled by this proclamation. I don’t even know how to explain it. It was very appalling and insulting. I don’t understand how this is a public health emergency,” added Andra Griffin.
Despite the criticism, the majority of the board members agreed to target racism as a serious issue. Tuesday’s proclamation directs county officials to promote equitable policies and diversity training and support communities of color.
“This is a problem that festers in our community and our nation, we must deal with it and change our attitudes,” said Commissioner Priscilla Whisenant Trace. “The hardest things in life are the things we’re taught as young people that are wrong. We must strive to get it in front of us. We need to heal.”
This story was originally published November 10, 2020 at 2:41 PM.
