Racism is a Public Health Crisis: Community Engagement

Inequity and injustice impact us all. Since declaring Racism is a Public Health Crisis (RPHC), King County Government and Public Health – Seattle & King County (PHSKC) have committed to developing stronger and better resourced partnerships with community organizations and leaders to disrupt and dismantle racism and protect the health and well-being of our all our residents, regardless of race or location.

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Bridging the Gap Between Community and Systems

Willard Jimerson, Jr. grew up in Seattle’s historically African American Central District neighborhood. Raised by a loving grandmother and grandfather, young Will could never have predicted that just six weeks after his 13th birthday he’d become a ward of the state and spend the rest of his childhood in America’s adult prison system.

One fatal and catastrophic moment on a late night in 1994 changed everything. The kid who once fancied himself a charming and mischievous prankster, who loved playing arcade games and pick-up football, was gone.

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Lead: Invisible danger, visible change in the community

Lead – the heavy metal found in older homes and paint as well as in the environment – is hard to see, but very toxic. We are working to raise the visibility of the dangerous effects of lead, especially on children’s brain development and the work that it takes to reduce exposure to it in our community. And we could not do it without our amazing community-based partners.

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A way forward: Sowing community solutions in the Chinatown-International District

In the first of a three-part series on health in the Chinatown-International District, we learned that data pointed to some unexpected findings: – Diabetes is the leading cause of death; – The neighborhood has experienced a 64% increase in young children since 2010; and, – More people report having poor mental health than anywhere else […]

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A local organization’s perspective on why Communities of Opportunity is receiving national attention

(Reposted from BestStartsBlog.com) In King County, many have taken note of Communities of Opportunity (COO), a ground-breaking partnership between community, the Seattle Foundation and King County to address inequities in health, social, racial, and economic outcomes. Now this approach is getting national attention. This past weekend, US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Secretary Julián Castro honored […]

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