|
In the last several weeks, I have watched and listened as so many people have taken to the streets in outrage at the killings of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Mi’Chance Dunlap-Gittens and many other people of color at the hands of police. There is no surprise or news in the fact that there are extreme and pervasive racial disparities, not just in other parts of the country, but right here at home. Of course, we are not immune in King County.
In King County, people of color have been overrepresented in every phase of our criminal justice system: police contact, arrest, conviction, sentencing and detention. But beyond the criminal system, public health data show how historical and ongoing systemic racism impacts people literally from birth through death. Black people, Indigenous people and people of color in our county lead shorter, less healthy and less prosperous lives, with lower average birth weights, lower high school graduation rates and levels of college education, lower incomes and less wealth accumulation, and shorter life spans than white people.
These consistent disparities cannot be put off as the result of individual choices or the discriminatory actions of a “few bad apples.” They are the result of systemic racism that operates at every level of our society, often invisibly. The system may appear neutral to many, but it is not. It is self-reinforcing and resistant to change.
Today, I joined my King County Council colleagues to discuss these issues, and what we must do about them, at a special meeting of our Law and Justice Committee. We heard from advocates for change and from family members of people killed by police right here in King County. It is clear that we must act to make changes within our power now, and to join with other governments and community members to advocate for those changes that are not within our authority. We will consider a number of important proposals in the coming weeks, including changes to our County Charter, ordinances, policies and budget.
We have much to do and we will be trying to do it while our communities are hurting and our resources diminished due to the COVID-19-driven economic downturn. This will not be easy. I am not prepared to offer simple prescriptions today for what are complex and deep-seated problems. However, it is clearer than ever that we must act with “a fierce urgency of now,” and that we cannot let barriers stop us from making change at every level of government.
As your representative on the King County Council, I am committed to this work. I will report out to you as we make progress on specific actions and I ask that you please contact me to share your experiences and ideas.
Working together, both now and over the long haul, we can make our county more just and equitable for everyone.
Sincerely,
 Claudia Balducci
King County Council
Council Chair
District 6
|
