Racial Equity
A few statistics from Pittsburgh’s 2019 Gender Equity Report:
- Pittsburgh’s Black fetal mortality is higher than Black fetal mortality in 94 percent of similar cities.
- Pittsburgh’s Black maternal mortality rate is higher than Black mortality rates in 97 percent of similar cities.
- Black adult mortality rates are higher than 98% of similar cities.
This is a failure of policy. This is a failure to distribute resources fairly that spans across sectors. When I talk about the environment, it’s not just to leave a cleaner future for our children, it’s to address that unsafe water and air pollution occurs disproportionately in Black communities. When I talk about labor, it’s not just because everyone deserves good union jobs, but also because a lack of good jobs leads to a lack of treatment options when it comes to healthcare, and 85% of similar cities have higher levels of Black employment than Pittsburgh. Across all of the above issues, and all of my work, I plan to center racial equity to close the gaps across sectors that disadvantage our Black communities. Culturally-responsive policy is more than just diversity – it’s addressing the root causes that disadvantage our Black residents, and I plan to make that an explicit priority in leading District 5.
