City Council votes to declare racism a health crisis, postpones pension bill – By Pittsburgh Post Gazette Staff (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette) / Dec 11 2019
Pittsburgh City Council Wednesday unanimously approved, tentatively, a trio of bills meant to spur progress toward racial equity.
The bills declare racism to be a public health crisis in the city; create an All-In Cities Leadership Forum to forge policy solutions; and authorize the All-In Cities Investment Fund, which would work with the Downtown-based Poise Foundation on “development projects and entrepreneurial activities” to improve equity.
Councilmen Ricky Burgess and R. Daniel Lavelle are the prime sponsors. Mr. Lavelle said he would likely introduce a few amendments on Tuesday, when the legislation should come up for final votes.
Mr. Burgess said that he expects part of the emerging solution would be broad application of the so-called “Rooney Rule,” under which National Football League teams always include minority candidates in interview processes when they seek new head coaches and senior football operations staff.
“It was a fundamental change and it echoed from assistant coaches to front offices to other sports. So in every decision, we have to have that conversation,” said Mr. Burgess. “I have confidence that we will normally make the best decision” when the conversation is inclusive.
The votes follow the release this year of a report entitled Pittsburgh’s Inequality Across Gender and Race, by University of Pittsburgh sociologists working with the city’s Gender Equity Commission.
Continue to article: https://www.post-gazette.com/local/city/2019/12/11/Pittsburgh-City-council-racism-health-crisis-pension-offset-Burgess-Harris/stories/201912110101
