Today, I issued a proclamation to name racism as a public health crisis. Given our diverse population as a minority, majority state, this call to action raises awareness so Nevada does not perpetuate poor health outcomes due to systemic racism during & after the pandemic.

Institutional and systemic racism has gone on far too long in this country and in this State. Based on research, we are taking a proactive approach in joining fellow leaders around the country to declare racism as a public health crisis.

I am grateful to be joined by the Nevada Legislature in recognizing that racism manifests in measurable ways, including in public health. I look forward to working with Nevada leaders and the Office of Minority Health and Equity on this critical issue.

This proclamation enhances work already being done by the State’s Office of Minority Health & Equity, which was initially created in '05 & expanded in '17. The Office engages communities statewide to promote health equity & combat health disparities through advocacy & education.