MANATEE COUNTY, Fla. — Editor's Note: The photo above is a file image of a sign from a stand against racism taken by neighbors in Louisville, Kentucky.
Manatee County Commissioner Reggie Bellamy says he's dealt with racism since the day he was born.
"I may not be George Floyd, but I have had a knee on the back of my neck for my entire life," Bellamy said.
As the county's only Black commissioner, he's been especially attuned to the calls for justice in the Black community. Racism, he says, is still "alive and prevalent" in the county, state and beyond.
In response, he placed an item on the commission's agenda to label racism a public health crisis. His proclamation directs county officials to promote equitable policies and diversity training and support communities of color.
The American Public Health Association keeps track of the various cities and states across the country making this notion a formality. Hillsborough County was the only municipality in Florida to have formally declared racism a public health crisis until Tuesday when Manatee County jumped on board.
Manatee's declaration includes 11 steps to address racism in the county.
"If we can’t talk, we can’t recognize, we can’t move forward," Commissioner Betsy Benac said. "So I think we are going to be able to do that."
Commissioners voted 5-2 in favor of the declaration, with Commissioner Vanessa Baugh and Steven Jonsson voting nay on all proclamations.
"Unfortunately the way I read it when I interpreted it, it came out as, this group here, we are all a bunch of racists," Jonsson said. "I think we do a really good job up here of trying to fund as much money as we can into the Black community."
Jonsson felt the wording in the proclamation was too harsh.
"I read this proclamation over three times, trying to see if I could agree with all of the statements in it," Benac said. "I agree with Commissioner Jonsson, it was a little harsh in some ways, but could I say it was wrong? No."
Commissioner Baugh, on the other hand, felt the proclamation was not inclusive enough.
"I understand where you are coming from [addressing Bellamy] but I think the problem for me was public health emergency," Baugh said. "And it’s not just about Blacks. It’s about Hispanics, it’s about every different race in this county."
"I don’t think any color should be left out of this equation," Baugh said. "We are in different ways including white people, believe it or not, do get involved in racism."
Baugh's statement was followed by disapproval among other commissioners.
"With all due respect to Commissioner Baugh, you totally missed the mark," Benac responded. "The point of this whole proclamation was to say out loud that Black people are disproportionately impacted by the health crisis that we are in and not only that, but all the pre-existing conditions that are disproportionately experienced by Black people."
As many members of the Black community have tried to explain, all lives can't matter until Black Lives Matter.
"Black Lives Matter is saying you need to be aware that we have a different situation and I am so fortunate that I was taught by my parents that when I was very young," Benac said.
With this proclamation, the work is just beginning.
"We have a lot of struggles in our community, but we as leaders and individuals that are out amongst the crowd, take advantage of this declaration, do your part, and listen to minorities," Bellamy said.
The commission wants to establish a community collaborative to work with marginalized communities as designated health equity zones to develop plans and recommend policies that address housing, education, economic and health inequities in Manatee County.
"We share this burden together and we want to unite and conquer this burden together," Bellamy said.
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