FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Media Relations
Statement from APHA Executive Director Georges C. Benjamin, MD
“Today, we are saddened by yet another shooting death of a Black American by a police officer. We weep for the loss of Daunte Wright, while calling attention to addressing the systems in place that allow such tragedies to happen.
We must continue to acknowledge that violence in policing and the racial profiling that can perpetuate it are a public health crisis that needs our attention now. This is especially the case as we look at the overall impact on the mental well-being of people of color and the collective trauma that follows, both among those who have experienced police brutality and those who have witnessed it.
APHA knows that dismantling the longstanding, systemic structure of racism and reimagining what just and equitable public safety looks like in our country must be done through brutally honest conversations and effective policy changes. I, and the rest of the public health community, will continue to advocate for these changes so we can one day eliminate violence within law enforcement and the pervasive racism that plagues our nation.”
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The American Public Health Association champions the health of all people and all communities. We are the only organization that combines a nearly 150-year perspective, a broad-based member community and the ability to influence federal policy to improve the public’s health. Learn more at www.apha.org.