NORTHERN CALIFORNIA – On Thursday, June 4, Rep. Mike Thompson (CA-05) will hold a virtual town hall from 4:30 to 5:30 p.m. Pacific Time.
Thompson will be joined by special guest, Rep. Barbara Lee (CA-13) for a discussion about the systemic issues that have led to racial inequities and injustices and expected congressional action, including legislation introduced on June 4 by Rep. Lee to create a United States Commission on Truth, Racial Healing and Transformation.
This is the seventh in a series of virtual town halls. All constituents of California’s Fifth Congressional District and members of the press are invited to join.
This event will be held over Zoom and interested participants must email Thompson’s office in order to join, as the platform has a capacity of 500 people. Interested participants will be notified via email with instructions on how to join.
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – County officials said an action taken by the Board of Supervisors reinforces the requirement established under a Public Health order that people wear facial coverings in Lake County’s businesses and government offices.
On May 5, the Lake County Board of Supervisors adopted Urgency Ordinance No. 3091, requiring the use of face coverings by all persons in county facilities, when 6-foot social distancing and/or use of protective shielding was not possible.
At the time, there was no general requirement of face coverings in Lake County businesses, so officials said this was an additional protective measure put in place for county-owned facilities, particularly in light of the fact the county courthouse building in Lakeport is prone to a high volume of foot traffic – typically 350 to 400 unique visitors per week.
During Tuesday’s board meeting, the supervisors rescinded Urgency Ordinance 3091 because it is no longer necessary in light of the broader face-covering requirement under Health Order C20-06, which went into effect on May 21 and was clarified by a May 28 addendum.
The county of Lake said Tuesday’s action by the board in no way compromises existing health orders.
In all Lake County businesses, including county-owned facilities, the Public Health Order applies:
– “All persons shall wear face coverings (cloth masks) when entering all local businesses or facilities, for workers and patrons, alike” (Order C20-06).
– “Those for whom complying with this order would cause difficulty breathing, or other adverse physical or emotional consequences” are exempt from the masking requirement, but “...must maintain a minimum physical distance of 6 feet between themselves and persons who are not family/household members at all times, unless protective shielding between such persons is in place.” (Addendum 1 to Order C20-06)
Particularly in light of Lake County’s overall caseload reaching 30, including 16 Active Confirmed Cases, as reported during this morning’s board meeting, residents are encouraged to take any available steps to slow the spread of COVID-19.
The following precautions are recommended by our Public Health Officer Dr. Gary Pace, MD:
– Stay at home, except to engage in permitted activities. – Wear a face covering when away from home, to protect others. – Stay at least 6 feet away from others when out of your household. – Avoid contact with people who are sick. – Wash your hands often with soap and water, for at least 20 seconds each time. – Use hand sanitizer if soap and water are not available. – People at elevated risk of severe complications are encouraged to stay safe at home.
County officials said that taking individual precautions will minimize the risk for everyone, and help protect those most vulnerable.
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Lake County’s number of confirmed COVID-19 cases has risen again, Lake County’s Public Health officer confirmed on Tuesday afternoon.
Dr. Gary Pace said that the test results for the four new cases came in late Monday.
Pace said the latest testing results bring Lake County’s total caseload to 30. Two additional cases previously included in Lake County's total have since been transferred to their home counties.
Of Lake County’s 30 current cases, 11 are active, one is hospitalized and one is housed in the Lake County Jail and in stable condition. The remaining nine are stable and under home isolation, Pace said.
The Lake County Public Health COVID-19 dashboard shows that approximately 2,151 individuals in Lake County have been tested, with the results of 133 of those tests still pending.
“Even with these latest identified cases, we are seeing some clusters of infections, but no widespread community transmission,” Pace said. “Because of the robust contact tracing that occurs with each new positive test, it is common that secondary infections are identified.”
Pace said COVID-19 is highly contagious and therefore easily spread, particularly in the period before the individual knows they are infected.
“We have a significant number of active COVID-19 infections in Lake County right now, and investigations remain ongoing. It is possible further positive cases will be identified as that process progresses,” Pace said.
In his report on the latest cases, Pace said “increased social movement generally brings increased risk of COVID-19 infection, as the virus is pervasive in our region.”
He added, “While we have yet to have documented cases tightly related to reopening of a particular category of business activity, reasonable precautions should be exercised, and only increasingly so as sectors reopen.”
Pace urged community members who think they may have been exposed to get testing right away. “It may make a significant difference for people close to you.”
Email Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. . Follow her on Twitter, @ERLarson, or Lake County News, @LakeCoNews.
The California Highway Patrol has announced the graduation and deployment of nine CHP canine teams, along with one canine team from the University of California, Davis Police Department.
The certification of the new canine teams follows 400 to 600 hours of training.
Due to the current health crisis, the traditional graduation ceremony and skills demonstration was not held, but the department does want to acknowledge the hard work and commitment of the teams, while sharing the news of their successful certification with the public as they begin deploying to communities throughout the state.
“The addition of these highly specialized teams to our existing canine units is a win for the people of California,” CHP Commissioner Warren Stanley said. “Sending more handlers and their canine partners to patrol throughout the state, following their intensive training, will undoubtedly make a positive impact on public and officer safety.”
This is the second of two graduations in 2020 for canines trained in handler protection and narcotics detection, handler protection and explosive detection, or explosive detection only.
The canine teams complete between 10 and 15 weeks of intensive training at the CHP Academy, depending on their specialty.
The CHP officers represent seven different geographical regions, statewide.
The mission of the CHP is to provide the highest level of safety, service and security.
LAKE COUNTY, Calif – The AgVenture Steering Committee has announced the cancellation of AgVenture 2020 due to COVID-19.
The support over the years from speakers, donors, venues, caterers and transportation has been integral to the success of this ag education program, the committee said.
Since 2010, AgVenture has graduated nearly 120 professionals, elected officials and community leaders. Class members have used the knowledge gained in AgVenture to make informed decisions on ag-related policies.
The Steering Committee sincerely thanks all participants in this decade-long program.
Farming and food production are essential to our daily lives. The COVID crisis has illustrated the importance of our domestic food supply. Farmers, ranchers, farmworkers, haulers, processors, suppliers and all others associated with the Ag industry are essential workers. Our grocery stores rely on them.
Lake County’s agricultural community continues its efforts for a successful harvest and needs all the local support it can get during this critical time.
Over the past 10 years, AgVenture has educated non-farming community leaders about the vital role that agriculture plays in Lake County’s economy.
AgVenture sessions cover topics such as labor, history, marketing, water and land use, regulations, pest management and sustainability.
Community support grows from education and understanding. The AgVenture program has worked hard to this end and plans to continue that effort in years to come.
Rest assured that the AgVenture Steering Committee is already working to make 2021 their best year yet.
The AgVenture Steering Committee are all members of the Lake County Chapter of the California Women for Agriculture. These members are Diane Henderson, Annette Hopkins, Terry Dereniuk, Toni Scully and Brenna Sullivan.
CLEARLAKE, Calif. – During a special meeting last week, the Clearlake City Council voted to sell the former Austin Resort property to a developer.
Meeting for about a half-hour on Wednesday morning, the council offered unanimous approval for the plan, which Vice Mayor Dirk Slooten estimated will be a $40 million project.
This spring, Bailey Building and Loans LLC approached the city with a proposal to purchase the property, consisting of two parcels, in order to build a destination resort at the site that would include a marina, hotel, restaurant and retail.
The council approved an initial letter of intent with the developer in March, and it has since received approval from the Clearlake Planning Commission, as Lake County News has reported
The property is made up of two parcels. The first is the 4.74-acre parcel located at 14061 Lakeshore Drive and owned by the city’s redevelopment successor agency since 1997. The second property, located at 14071 Lakeshore Drive, is 2.94 acres and owned by the city since 2001, when it purchased it from the Redevelopment agency.
City Manager Alan Flora said the purchase price for both properties will be $915,350.
The larger parcel at 14061 Lakeshore Drive, held by the redevelopment successor agency, will sell for $564,943, and 15.73 percent of the proceeds, or $88,815, will go to the city. Other taxing entities will split up the remaining funds. Flora’s report said the largest amount, or $252,534, will go to Konocti Unified School District.
The parcel at 14071 Lakeshore Drive, is priced at $350,407, all of which will go to the city, Flora said.
Among the items Bailey Building and Loans LLC is requesting of the city, it’s asking for the city to coordinate with tribal governments as necessary; build a roundabout at the intersection of Olympic and Lakeshore drives, in partnership with developer for property frontage improvements; that the police department would identify the property as a priority for law enforcement visibility and enforcement; that the city would take all reasonable efforts to ensure expedited entitlement approval process; and that the city would consider a lease or license agreement for adjoining property that would facilitate infrastructure improvements to reflect and unified project image, while maintaining public access.
The developer’s responsibilities including developing a waterfront resort including a hotel, restaurant, marina and other services; maintaining public access to the waterfront of Clear Lake in perpetuity; perform desired due diligence of property including any requests to city for data; and work collaboratively with the police department in identifying processes and equipment that continue the decrease in crime within the city.
Flora noted that when the council had discussed the letter of intent earlier this year, it had given direction to make sure that if the project stole the city would have the opportunity to get ownership of the property back.
As such, the developer has agreed to a three-year timeline; if they haven't started construction within three years of closing the sale the city would have the opportunity to purchase the property back for the sale price.
Flora said the project will be a fairly complicated one, particularly because of the developers’ interest in doing a large marina which will require both permits through the California Department of Fish and Game and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. He said permits through the Army Corps can take up to two years.
Flora said the Redevelopment Agency Oversight Board is due to meet on June 8 to consider approving sale of the property owned by the successor agency.
Once the oversight board and council had given approval, Flora said city staff would finalize the sale agreement with the developer and begin working on the terms of a development agreement any other issues needed in order to close escrow within 120 days.
Slooten said he thought it was an exciting time, explaining that based on the estimated size of the project you could cost $40 million to build. He said he also thought it was reasonable to include the three-year time frame to start construction considering environmental review and other requirements that they will face.
Mayor Russ Cremer said he, Slooten and Flora had been in an initial meeting with the developers. He said the project will transform the city landscape along with a newly redeveloped Austin Park.
Cremer asked about a lease agreement the developer is requesting for Austin Beach. Flora explained that the developer had wanted to buy the beach but instead has agreed to a staff proposed lease agreement for the beach.
Flora said the developer is interested in making the beach appear to be part of the resort development and would like to make improvements to it including to the short wall along the sidewalk.
Councilman Phil Harris said at resorts he’s visited he’s seen them utilize and work to maintain public beach space, and he said it would be a huge benefit to the city to have the developer helping with Austin Beach.
He said he also wanted to see the project include a celebration of local Native American culture, such as a stature.
Flora said he thought it was a great idea, and he noted that the developers seem sensitive and interested in the local Native American history and have asked the city to help them work with the local Native American tribes on this project.
“I think that's a great suggestion and I think it's pretty likely to be part of the project,” Flora said.
Cremer asked Police Chief Andrew White if he foresaw any difficulties responding to the developers’ request that the police department make the property – located across from City Hall – a priority for law enforcement visibility and enforcement.
White said no, that he didn’t foresee any issue.
Cremer asked to see periodic progress reports on the project as well as a concept drawing.
Slooten moved to approve both parcel sales separately, with each receiving 5-0 votes.
Email Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. . Follow her on Twitter, @ERLarson, or Lake County News, @LakeCoNews.
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Newly reported test results have once again found the presence of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, in two local wastewater treatment plants.
COVID-19 was detected in samples taken on May 12 from the Southeast Regional Wastewater Plant, which serves the Clearlake and Lower Lake area, and the Northwest Regional Wastewater Plant, serving the Upper Lake, Nice, Lucerne and north Lakeport areas, Lake County Special Districts reported.
COVID-19 was not detected at the Kelseyville or Middletown wastewater treatment plants, the testing showed.
Earlier this spring, Lake County Special Districts began working with Biobot to test raw sewage for the presence of SARS-CoV-2, which is shed in the stools of infected people, as Lake County News has reported.
Biobot is a Massachusetts firm that has been offering the testing as part of a pro bono program it’s conducting along with MIT, Harvard and Brigham and Women's Hospital.
The virus’ presence in raw sewage indicates there are active cases in the county.
The testing has been conducted weekly since March in Special Districts’ four sewage treatment plants – Kelseyville, Middletown, Northwest Regional and Southeast Regional.
On Wednesday, Special Districts received results for samples taken on May 12, showing the presence of the virus at the Southeast Regional and Northwest Regional Plants.
Officials said results have been significantly delayed as Biobot has become overwhelmed with hundreds of agencies and municipalities joining their project.
Results for May 19 and May 26 samples remain pending, the county reported.
County officials said that receiving results two to three weeks after samples are taken has significantly diminished the value of this information.
As a result, Special Districts has secured a new lab that can conduct the tests and assure more timely delivery of the results.
“We submitted tests to the new lab last week, and hope to get results this week. As results are received, we will post the findings,” Special Districts said in a Wednesday statement.
Special Districts said that when SARS-CoV-2 is detected in raw sewage, it is diluted with chlorine, detergents and disinfectants that kill the virus.
Chlorine is in many public water systems, and household and commercial laundry, cleaning and disinfection products also end up in the sewer.
Raw sewage is toxic at all times, but the presence of this virus does not make it any more dangerous than it has always been, the county reported.
“Additionally, we want to assure the public the presence of COVID-19 in raw sewage in no way affects the safety of drinking water. These systems are entirely separate, and water provided by Special Districts is safe to drink,” Special Districts reported.
Email Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. . Follow her on Twitter, @ERLarson, or Lake County News, @LakeCoNews.
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Woodland Community College continues to work closely with state, county health officers, and district leaders to move forward with efforts to serve students with in-person services on all three WCC campuses.
“As an open access institution, it is critical for the college to be equitable and accessible to the students we serve, especially our low-income and students of color who may struggle to gain access to technology and necessary navigational capital to succeed,” said College President Dr. Art Pimentel.
Part of this ongoing assessment and collaboration with our county health officers included the decision to transition all courses during the summer semester to a distance education modality at the Woodland and Lake campuses.
There are three courses at the Colusa County Campus that will be offered face-to-face.
College administration is working with all instructors to make necessary adjustments to the course format to offer the best educational experience to students based on the transition to distance education.
Last week, the college surveyed students from all three campuses in Yolo, Lake and Colusa counties regarding student services. The result showed an overwhelming amount of students preferred in-person student services.
The college is now offering on-site, essential enrollment services with minimal staffing, Monday through Thursday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Services include Admissions and Records, Financial Aid, Counseling, Department of Supportive Programs and Services, Library, Food Pantry and Veteran’s Services.
Additional student programs like CalWORKs, EOPS and TRIO are also available to assist students on-site.
The Lake County and Colusa County campuses are also open during the same hours of operation.
Face coverings are required on all campuses and floor markings along with social distancing guidelines must be followed per county and district health guidelines. Staff will continue to serve students online and via phone should they prefer to stay home.
For more details regarding the services and health protocols, visit the college website.
This plan will require ongoing assessment from college and district leadership as the college works to implement safety mitigation measures to protect the college community and reduce the transmission of COVID-19 at all three WCC campuses.
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – With the summer fire season arriving, the effort to find fire lookout volunteers is underway.
Chris Rivera is director of the Forest Fire Lookout Association, California-Pacific Region, which includes the Mendocino National Forest and some of the Los Padres National Forest.
The Forest Fire Lookout Association has been getting more calls to see it can assist with staffing lookouts, he said.
Rivera said the US Forest Service has asked him to assume the responsibility of recruiting and training experienced and new lookout fire watchers.
He said Lake County currently has no available fire lookouts, as the one on Mount Konocti can’t be used due to structural issues and the High Glade Lookout above Upper Lake burned during the 2018 Ranch fire.
“We’re going to do old-school, mountaintop types of lookouts,” Rivera said.
They are planning to have several locations. One will be Anthony Peak in Mendocino County, which is 16 miles above Covelo. Anthony Peak will need experienced lookouts which Rivera said will probably turn out to be a paid, part-time job during fire season.
Another area where they plan to have a lookout is in Upper Lake at a location yet to be determined, Rivera said. The Pinnacle Rock area is a possibility.
They also plan to have people up on top of Mount Konocti, though not in the tower, Rivera said.
He said they want to put fire lookouts on a mountain top in the “old school” style. They’ll have binoculars, a compass and a radio, and will report fires and smoke.
Rivera said that the group feels it’s important to protect the county.
The need that led to towers being built in the first place is coming back, said Rivera.
Even though there is the use of infrared or cameras with satellites, “The human element cannot be replaced,” Rivera said, adding that all of the elements need to come together.
Rivera said they want to continue the early detection methods, preserve the towers and refurbish them, and train people to locate fires.
Fire lookouts have been deemed essential because they are part of the fire workforce at this time, Rivera said.
For more information, call Rivera at 707-239-6824 or email him at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .
To learn more about the Forest Fire Lookout Association, visit www.FFLA.org . To donate to the Mount Konocti fire lookout tower renovations, visit https://ffla-ccwr.org/ .
Email Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. . Follow her on Twitter, @ERLarson, or Lake County News, @LakeCoNews.
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – The latest guidance from state health officials to local jurisdictions has laid out the next steps in reopening more business sectors in California.
On Tuesday morning, in a letter to public health officials and government leaders, State Public Health Officer Sonia Angell reported that reopening of additional sectors will employ a two-step process.
“A variance county can elect to open a given sector so long as (1) the State has issued guidance for how a given sector can reopen and (2) the local health officer has provided approval for that sector to open in that locality. If the state has not yet released guidance for a sector, then that sector cannot yet be opened,” Angell said.
Lake County’s local variance attestation went into effect Wednesday, May 20, so Lake County is a “variance county” for the purposes of the state’s latest guidance.
Public Health Officer Dr. Gary Pace said Lake County is now in the early phase of Stage 3 of the Governor’s Resilience Roadmap.
When the state provides further guidance for a sector of the business community, Pace will determine if the health situation in Lake County is stable enough to allow relaxation of the restrictions.
As Dr. Angell stated, short guidance from the state, local jurisdictions cannot reopen business sectors.
State officials previously expressed optimism that guidelines for reopening gyms and fitness centers would be issued as soon as Monday. However, in Angell’s Tuesday morning letter, no timeline for release of guidance on additional sectors was provided.
As of the latest guidance, the following sectors are closed statewide:
· Bars and nightclubs. · Entertainment venues. · Gyms and fitness studios. · Public events and gatherings. · Convention centers. · Nail salons.
Additionally, officials said nonessential travel remains prohibited.
Traditional lodging operations, such as hotels, and non-traditional lodging facilities, such as vacation rentals facilitated by websites like Airbnb, should only be employed to serve front-line medical personnel, isolate those with COVID-19 or associated risk factors, and for other allowable purposes.
In Lake County, lodging must be approved by the Health Services Department, and requests can be routed to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or 707-263-8174.
Lake County has permitted reopening of hair salons and barbershops, ahead of some other California counties, and indoor dining at local restaurants is anticipated to resume this Thursday, June 4.
More information on which sectors are open or closed statewide and can be found here.
Sector-specific reopening guidance can be found here.
For more information, contact the Lake County Health Services staff at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or 707-263-8174.
The commission’s determination becomes final in 30 days, subject to discretionary review by the California Supreme Court.
The commission ordered Justice Johnson removed from office for 18 acts of prejudicial misconduct, comprised of more than 40 proven allegations.
The commission found that Justice Johnson engaged in the unwanted touching of four women, engaged in conduct that would reasonably be perceived as sexual harassment of seven women at his court, and misused the prestige of his position and demeaned his judicial office by attempting to develop personal relationships with three other women.
He also is alleged to have further demeaned his office by his offensive conduct toward a fourth woman, as well as by multiple incidents of undignified conduct – including conduct at the courthouse for the Court of Appeal – while intoxicated, and displayed poor demeanor to coworkers and made a disparaging remark about judicial colleagues.
Justice Johnson’s misconduct was aggravated by his lack of candor throughout the commission proceedings, according to the commission’s report on its action.
The commission found that Justice Johnson “testified untruthfully in many instances.”
As a result of his misconduct and his lack of candor during the course of the proceedings, the commission concluded that Justice Johnson “cannot meet the fundamental expectations of his position as a judge.”
High-profile police shootings and deaths of black men in custody – or even while out jogging – bring cries of racism across the country. The May 25 death of George Floyd by a white police officer in Minneapolis and the shooting death of Ahmaud Arbery in Brunswick, Georgia on Feb. 23, 2020 by a white father and son have resulted in outrage and protests in cities across the U.S.
But, as a public health researcher who studies the effects of racism on the health of black men, I have found that the life-and-death effects of racism in the U.S. go far beyond police shootings. I also have found that, while racism harms many groups of people, black men are paying the highest cost.
As a result of racism, and associated poverty and injustice, life expectancy at birth of black men is 71.9 years, far below white women (81.2), black women (78.5), and white men (76.4). These are mainly because of black men’s higher risk of dying from several typesof cancer, stroke, HIV, and homicide. Despite overall declining numbers of homicide in the U.S., homicide remains the number one cause of death for black males 10 to 24.
One example is being turned down for a job (as opposed to being treated differently on the job). On average, each black youth faces one major discriminatory experience each year. Discrimination is a major risk factor for health problems across the board, as shown by reviews.
There are also blocked opportunities for black men and other types of discrimination that are less frequent but very consequential, also called major discriminatory events. Combined, these discriminatory experiences make living harder and shorter for black men than for other race by gender groups. While discrimination is known to be a risk factor for premature death, heart disease, depression, and suicide, we know black men experience discrimination more than other groups, including black women.
In a recent study, I found that a sense of mastery, which refers to people’s ability to take control of their life, could reduce psychological distress for black women. For black men, however, high levels of mastery were not enough to reduce psychological distress.
In another study, I compared black men and black women for the effect of their educational attainment on their depressive symptoms and psychological distress. I analyzed data of 3,570 black adults (2,299 females and 1,271 males) and found that education protects black men less than it protects black women from depressive symptoms and psychological distress. That means black men are at risk of depressive symptoms and psychological distress at all levels of educational attainment. That is, their success is not enough to reduce their depression and distress.
As all these studies have used nationally representative data. Thus, the results are generalizable to the U.S. people. They all show a pattern called diminished returns of economic and non-economic resources for black men. Although they are also seen for other race by gender groups, they are most pronounced for black men. As a result of these diminished returns, black men who have high levels of aspirations and motivation to get to the top of society still get sick, feel unhealthy and die early.
In other words, as long as U.S. unfairly treats black men, their very same resource would fail to protect them, so they show systemically pooroutcomes, regardless of their status in the society.
Again, these are not limited to, but worst for, black men.
Racism in health care
Even the U.S. health care system treats black men worse than black women. This includes receiving a lower quality of health care compared to whites, and even black women. Such discrimination deteriorates their ability to manage their disease, so they develop worse outcomes and get sicker.
One of my papers shows that white men have a specific role in this. My work shows that anti-black bias is highest in white men than white women. This is very concerning because white men have the highest level of power in law, politics, police and many other institutions in the U.S. These all mean that odds are not in favor of black men.
Recent shootings of black men, either by police, or others, also shows that black men are specifically targeted by white men, the group which also is in charge of law and order. These all are examples of how social structures and biases cause poor health among black men.
Money doesn’t improve health for black men
Several of my studies have documented high risk of depression in black men and boys of high socioeconomic status. These studies shows higher, instead of lower, risk of depression as a result of socioeconomic mobility in the US.
One explanation for this is that they pay a very high price for their ticket to the top of the society. This journey also opens their eyes to the real inequalities that exist in the U.S. society.
In another study among black boys, high income increased the risk of depression, suggesting that high-income black boys are more, not less, depressed than low-income black boys. In yet another study of mine, 25 years’ follow-up of American adults showed that high education actually increases depressive symptoms of black men over time. I did not see this pattern in white men, white women or even black women.
In another study, I found that white men gain most life expectancy from their employment. The gain was smaller but still considerable for white women and black women. Black men, however, died earlier, regardless of their employment.
Thus, in todays’s U.S., racism is a root cause of poor health of black men. Given the societal structure, personal assets and ambitions such as advanced education, income and employment do not insulate black men from the racism of the American society they live in. In fact, these assets increase the likelihood of black men to be discriminated.
I end this conversation with a few questions for my fellow Americans. How on earth can social mobility make the lives of white Americans easier, but not for black men? Why should social status increase rather than decrease black men’s exposure and vulnerability to discrimination? Why, for whites, does discrimination vanish if people attain high levels of success, but for black men, discrimination increases as they move up the social ladder? Why does success increase discriminatory experiences of black men?
Racism, however, is bad for everyone’s health, not just black men. It is just bad in a different way. Everyone dies sooner in a racist community. This is partially because societal inequalities increase people’s vulnerablities, even the most privileged ones, as I explained in another piece.