PRESIDENT BIDEN SPOKE OUT
AGAINST SYSTEMIC RACISM IN HIS
CALL FOR UNITY.
THAT CALL RESONATES WITH THE
LEADER OF MILWAUKEE COUNTY WHO
SAYS, FOR YEARS WE'VE LANGUISHED
AT THE BOTTOM AS ONE OF THE
UNHEALTHIEST COUNTY NOTICE THE
STATE.
WE KNOW THAT'S IN PART TO
GENERATIONS OF DISINVESTMENT IN
COMMUNITIES OF COLORS AND
UNEQUALLY DISTRIBUTED
OPPORTUNITY.
MILWAUKEE COUNTY EXECUTIVE DAVID
CROWLEY LOOKS TO NEW
OPPORTUNITIES TO CREATE EQUITY.
HE JOINS US NOW AND THANKS VERY
MUCH FOR BEING HERE.
>> THANKS FOR HAVING ME,
FREDERICA.
>> SO DID YOU HEAR WHAT YOU WERE
HOPING TO FROM THE NEW PRESIDENT
WHEN IT COMES TO EQUITY?
>> I ABSOLUTELY D. I DID.
I THINK ABOUT THE CHALLENGING
YEAR WE HAD LAST YEAR, WHEN WE
THINK ABOUT RACIAL EQUITY AN
GETTING OVER THIS PANDEMIC, IT
IS TRUER NOW THAN EVER.
TO SEE THIS NEW ADMINISTRATION
PAYING ATTENTION TO HOW THIS HAS
DISPROPORTION NATURALLY AFFECTED
PEOPLE OF COLOR AND WHEN WE SEE
THE RACIAL INEQUITIES IN THIS
PANDEMIC, THIS IS A BREATH OF
FRESH AIR.
>> WHAT CONCRETE STEPS NEED TO
BE TAKEN TO WORK TOWARD THAT
BOTH AT THE FEDERAL, STATE AND
LOCAL LEVEL?
>> WELL, I THINK THAT'S AN
EXCELLENT QUESTION.
ONE, WE ALWAYS HAVE TO RECOGNIZE
WHAT IS HAPPENING, SO WE HAVE TO
CALL A THING WHAT IT IS.
AND WE DID THAT RIGHT HERE IN
MILWAUKEE COUNTY BY MAKING SURE
TO SAY THAT RACISM WAS A PUBLIC
HEALTH CRISIS.
WE'VE BEEN DOING EXACTLY THAT,
FOCUSING ON OUR FIRST STRATEGIC
PLAN IN OVER 20 YEARS TO FOCUS
EXCLUSIVELY ON BOTH HEALTH AND
RACIAL EQUITY.
IN ORDER TO DO THAT,
PARTICULARLY HERE IN MILWAUKEE
COUNTY, IT'S GOING TO TAKE
RESOURCES.
I THINK PRESIDENT BIDEN
DEFINITELY UNDERSTANDS THAT.
AND WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT
MILWAUKEE COUNTY SPECIFICALLY,
EVERY YEAR WE START WITH ABOUT A
$20 MILLION DEFICIT.
IF WE WANT TO INVEST IN RACIAL
EQUITY, IT'S GOING TO TAKE
RESOURCES.
THAT'S ONE OF THE REASONS WHY WE
ARE CREATING PARTNERSHIPS HERE
LOCALLY, ABOUT A 1% SALES TAX
THAT WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT
WITH STATE OFFICIALS AS WELL AS
THE GOVERNOR'S ADMINISTRATION,
BECAUSE WE HAVE TO PUT OUR MONEY
WHERE OUR MOUTH IS AND WE HAVE
TO FOCUS ON THREE AREAS IN MY
OPINION.
ONE, WE HAVE TO BE INTENTIONAL
ON WHO WE INCLUDE TO BE AT THE
TABLE.
IT HAS TO BE THE
DECISION-MAKERS.
WE HAVE TO BRIDGE THE GAP, BREAK
DOWN THE BARRIERS AND SILOS THAT
WE'VE BEEN OPERATING IN AS
PRIVATE AND GOVERNMENT ENTITIES.
AND PUT OUR MONEY WHERE OUR
MOUTH IS AND INVEST IN EQUITY.
AND THAT MEANS PUTTING DOLLARS
AND RESOURCES INTO COMMUNITIES
THAT HAVE BEEN HISTORICALLY
UNDERSERVED.
>> BECAUSE WE HAVE BEEN TALKING
ABOUT THESE DISPARITIES IN
MILWAUKEE FOR DECADES.
YOU THINK THESE STEPS WILL MAKE
IT DIFFERENT NOW?
>> ABSOLUTELY.
AND I WOULD SAY THAT WE JUST
FINISHED THIS WEEK -- AND I
WOULD SAY THIS WEEK REALLY GAVE
ME HOPE.
WE HAD DR. MARTIN LUTHER KING
DAY ON MONDAY AND THE
INAUGURATION ON WEDNESDAY.
IT'S ABOUT HOW DO WE BRING THIS
COUNTRY OND OUR COMMUNITIES
TOGETHER TO HAVE THIS
CONVERSATION.
IF YOU WANT TO TACKLE RACIAL
EQUITY, WE'RE LEARNING WHAT
WE'RE SEEING THROUGH THIS
PANDEMIC, IT'S GOING TO TAKE ALL
OF US BEING AT THE TABLE,
REPUBLICAN, DEMOCRAT, UNION
MEMBER, BUSINESS OWNER.
WE NEED EVERYBODY TO HAVE SKIN
IN THE GAME AND MAKE SURE WE'RE
TACKLING THIS HEAD-ON.
>> SPECIFIC TO THE PANDEMIC, ONE
OF THE BIDEN ORDERS WOULD CREATE
A COVID-19 EQUITY TASK FORCE.
WHAT WOULD YOU HOPE WOULD COME
OF THAT FOR MILWAUKEE COUNTY,
WHERE PEOPLE OF COLOR ARE
DISPROPORTIONATELY IMPACTED BY
COVID AND VACCINATION RATES FOR
BLACK AND HISPANIC PEOPLE LAG
WAY BEHIND.
>> WE HAVE TO EDUCATE THE
COMMUNITY ON THE EFFICACY AND
SAFETY OF THIS VACCINE.
THIS IS LIKE MYSELF AND OTHER
BUSINESS LEADERS, COMMUNITY
LEADERS NOT ONLY EDUCATING, BUT
GOING OUT GETTING VACCINATED
THEMSELVES.
WHAT I WOULD SAY IS WHEN WE
THINK ABOUT THIS PANDEMIC AND
HOW IT'S DISAPPROVE PORTION
NATURALLY AFFECTED PEOPLE OF
COLOR, I THINK IT'S CRITICALLY
IMPORTANT THAT WE HAVE REGIONAL
CENTERS, IN MY OPINION.
WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT WHAT LOCAL
GOVERNMENTS AND WHAT THE STATE
GOVERNMENT HAS TO DO IN ORDER TO
BE PREPARED TO PUT THESE SHOTS
IN PEOPLE'S ARMS, WE HAVE TO
RELY SO MUCH ON OUR FEDERAL FOR
THESE DOSES.
SO I WOULD HOPE WITH THE
PRESIDENT'S AMBITIOUS GOAL OF
GETTING 100 MILLION VACCINATIONS
IN 100 DAYS, I THINK THAT IS
DOABLE, BUT IT'S GOING TO TAKE
RESOURCES, EDUCATION AND I THINK
A REGIONAL APPROACH TO THIS WILL
DEFINITELY ALLEVIATE ON A LOT OF
THE CONFUSION WE HAVE SEEN.
>> WHAT IS YOUR URGENCY TOWARD
EQUITY IN YOUR COUNTY AND FOR
YOUR PEOPLE?
>> WELL, I THINK THERE'S A LOT.
THE VERY BEGINNING YOU TALKED
ABOUT HOW WE'RE AT THE TOP OF A
LOT OF THE WRONG LISTS.
THE GOAL IS GETTING MILWAUKEE
COUNTY TO BE REMOVED FROM THE
LIST OF BEING ONE OF THE MOST
SEGREGATED PLACES HERE IN THE
UNITED STATES.
AND THIS IS MAKING SURE THAT WE
FOCUS ON ALL FIVE DETERMINANTS
OF HEALTH.
BUT AGAIN WE HAVE TO HOLD
OURSELVES ACCOUNTABLE AND WE'RE
DOING THAT AND BRINGING OTHER
PARTNERS ALONG WITH US,
INTERNALLY AS WELL AS
EXTERNALLY.
AGAIN, IT'S GOING TO TAKE
RESOURCES.
THAT'S WHY WE ARE CONTINUOUSLY
HAVING THIS CONVERSATION ABOUT
HOW DO WE PUT OUR BEST FOOT
FORWARD AND GATHER AND LEVERAGE
RESOURCES TO INVEST IN THE
EQUITY AND FUTURE WE WANT TO SEE
HERE IN MILWAUKEE COUNTY.
>> ALL RIGHT.
MILWAUKEE COUNTY EXECUTIVE DAVID
CROWLEY, THANK