S. E. Williams | Contributor
Under the leadership of Mayor Pro Tem Denise Davis and City Councilmember Eddie Tejeda, the Redlands City Council will consider a Resolution affirming that racism is a public health crisis.
The Resolution will be discussed and considered for approval during the upcoming council meeting on Tuesday, July 21, 2020.
The Resolution begins, “WHEREAS, racism results in a structured absence of opportunity and the assigning of a person’s societal value based solely on physical characteristics, such as skin color, which creates unfair disadvantages for some individuals and communities, while simultaneously creating unfair advantages for other individuals and communities, therefore preventing societies as a whole from achieving their full potential . . . “
It goes on to list a series of nationally recognized barriers to equity and affirms the city’s commitment to continue dialogue and the strengthening of local coalitions to mitigate barriers to equity as declared in its closing statement which reads, “This City Council will continue to, through its goodwill, dialogue, and decision making efforts and powers, support policies that are consistent with the principles of equity of access, services, and treatment of all people regardless of race, color, or ethnicity.”
Due to COVID-19, Tuesday’s meeting will be held by teleconference and can be viewed online via the city’s website https://www.cityofredlands.org/live-meetings and on Redlands TV Channel 3 (Spectrum) and Channel 35 (Frontier).
There will also be a remote viewing area available in the breezeway outside City Hall for those who do not have cable TV or internet access. Those planning to view the meeting at this location are reminded to wear face coverings and maintain social distancing.
Davis encourages the community to weigh in on this issue. To ensure your public comment is read into the public record at the meeting, you must submit your comments (no more than 250 words) by email before 5 p.m. Monday, July 20 to publiccomment@cityofredlands.org, through the public comment form on the City’s website at https://www.cityofredlands.org/public-speaker-form, or presented at the City Clerk’s Office located at 35 Cajon Street, Redlands.
The City Clerk requests the beginning of all comments to include a note referencing the agenda section I- Communications, item # 2.
Should the Resolution be adopted, the City of Redlands will join other municipalities, businesses and organizations across the region, around the state and all over the country who have taken a stand on the right side of history regarding one of the most pressing issues of our times.
S. E. Williams is the Executive Editor of the IE Voice and Black Voice News.