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More than 1,000 CDC employees sign letter decrying 'toxic culture' of racism in agency
 I blame the heat and humidity. I'm recommending immediate construction begin on land adjacent Minot AFB, North Dakota.[The Hill] As Americans look to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to navigate the country out of the COVID-19 pandemic, more than 1,000 employees at the CDC have penned a letter documenting "ongoing and recurring acts of racism and discrimination" against Black employees, according to NPR. Some signed, others made their mark. The letter reportedly addresses the CDC director Robert Redfield and is dated June 30. Among issues outlined in the letter were the CDC’s handling of the pandemic’s disproportionately adverse effects of Black and Latinx Americans, a lack of diversity among senior leadership, as well as the recent slayings of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor and Rayshard Brooks. The letter’s authors said that the nationwide calls to address systemic racism in the U.S. have prompted them to raise concerns over the agency’s treatment of people of color. Once again the CDC takes the lead. Other gummit agencies soon to follow. "In light of the recent calls for justice across this country and around the world, we, as dedicated public health professionals, can no longer stay silent to the widespread acts of racism and discrimination within CDC that are, in fact, undermining the agency's core mission," NPR quotes the letter. As of Sunday evening, the letter had 1,0007 signatories composed of CDC staff members, representing approximately 9 percent of the agency’s overall workforce. A CDC spokesperson told reporters that Redfield had seen the letter and that the "CDC is committed to fostering a fair, equitable, and inclusive environment in which staff can openly share their concerns with agency leadership." A meaningless defense. He should have saved his breath. The letter’s signatories also demand that the agency "take immediate, direct action" to address the agency’s "toxic culture," with one step being to declare racism a public health crisis in the U.S. Additionally, the letter asks for the creation of oversight committees to enforce better diversity practices and address related issues, Posted by: Besoeker 2020-07-15 |
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