FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 26, 2021
Contact:
Michael K. Frisby
[email protected]/202-625-4328
Statement by Dr. Gail C. Christopher, Executive Director, National Collaborative for Health Equity
A TRUTH, RACIAL HEALING AND TRANSFORMATION COMMISSION CAN BRING UNITY, EQUITY AND RACIAL HEALING TO OUR NATION
“NCHE applauds Rep. Barbara Lee and Sen. Cory Booker for reintroducing a resolution in the House and Senate calling for the nation’s first national Truth, Racial Healing and Transformation (TRHT) Commission. After four years of divisive rhetoric and increased violence fueled by racial hatred, it is critical that America has a mechanism to bring communities together to heal wounds of the past and find pathways for a more just future in Black, Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC) communities. The Jan. 6 insurrection and assault on the Capitol was an attack on the votes and civil liberties of millions of voters of color, and subsequently on the integrity of our democracy. The attack underscored the need for racial healing and a transformation in our people, our leaders, our communities and our institutions.
“This is a big ask. And to be accomplished, we need the power, resources and coordination that could be provided by the federal government partnering with communities to lead the healing process. This is a moment of racial reckoning. The Covid-19 pandemic’s economic, mortality and morbidity inequities are contributing to this unprecedented moment. Clearly, enough of the nation wants to transform systems to address equity and fairness across the land. Racial healing is now an imperative for protecting our national security – united communities can be important assets to help prevent future violence. Unifying and healing America can be accomplished through TRHT – the coordinated multi-sector, intergovernmental effort embedded in and led by local communities.
“The Biden administration promised to build back better and what’s better for America today is addressing the legacy of racism – the past and present. As a nation, it is critically important that we acknowledge the inequities of the past, their persistence today, and then act earnestly to heal the wounds and move forward together. NCHE believes that a TRHT Commission can help jettison the hierarchy of human value and launch a new era where all human beings are valued and have a capacity to see ourselves in one another.
“That’s the America that so many of us want.”
