The concept of racism as a public health crisis was first raised by the Harvard School of Public Health in 2019 to look across systems, not just health. Systemic racism touches and is influenced by every facet of society, from education and housing to employment and justice. In a 2020 Detroit Free Press OpEd, New Detroit’s president, Michael Rafferty, declared racism a public health crisis, noting it met all the hallmarks of a public health crisis: the situation is urgent; the potential harm would be catastrophic, the harm can’t be avoided through ordinary procedures. Since then, three states (including MI), the city of Detroit and 50 municipalities (including Ferndale Public Schools) have declared racism as a public health crisis. Federal legislation has also been introduced.
There are several ways to engage in our campaign: sign our petition, record a selfie, read a new report by our partner Detroit Future City on the connection between social determinants of health and systemic racism, purchase swag, join our next meeting.
With funding from the Community Foundation for Southeast Michigan, New Detroit piloted a specialized Just Care® training for emergency room physicians treating patients of color with opioid use disorders. The above evaluation by Johns Hopkins showed the training had an impact. You can also read an article about the Community Foundation about our partnership here.
Tackling Implicit Bias in Opioid Use Disorder Treatment
Through our Just Institute, New Detroit offers training for physicians and other health professionals that meets the state of Michigan requirement for anti-bias training.
“This training was outstanding in incorporating small pieces of fragmented information learned in years past and forming them into a clear and cohesive picture as it applies to racial inequities, implicit bias and opioid use disorder.”
– Dr. David J. Ahee, MD, Ascension St. John
“New Detroit’s Leadership Series on R.A.C.E. has been such an incredible experience! Each presenter has been so knowledgeable, and each session has been very valuable. Each presenter also brought a unique teaching style and various activities to help us put our learning right to use. I feel more confident in talking about race and will continue to put all of this tremendous learning into practice. This is not only incredibly useful in my work, but also in my personal life as I continue to fight to dismantle white supremacy from all of our systems.
Thank you so much, New Detroit!”
– Emily Jorgensen, Michigan League for Public Policy
New Detroit was formed in response to civil unrest in 1967 that uncovered a host of entrenched social and community ills. At the request of then Michigan Governor George Romney and Detroit Mayor Jerome Cavanagh, business executive Joseph L. Hudson, Jr. convened a unique coalition—the nation’s first—to identify what went wrong in July 1967, what needed to change, and how to make that change happen.
Since then, New Detroit, Inc. has been a unique and valuable arena where leaders of Detroit’s business, civic, grassroots, and religious communities have come together to plan cooperative strategies and to demonstrate their commitment to the city and its environs.
On July 6, 2020, in response to the dual pandemic of COVID-19 and racial injustice (which had come to a head with the murder of George Floyd on May 25), standing alongside 30 of Detroit’s most prominent business, political and philanthropical leaders in front of the “United We Stand” sculpture at the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History, New Detroit declared War on Racism.
New Detroit will dismantle racism through systems change and by moving hearts and minds. We do this as an institutional thought leader, an advocate for policy change, and as a catalyst for collective action. Our work is organized around these three strategies, and includes trainings, education, research, advocacy, and partnerships to fight racism at the personal, institutional, and systemic levels.
New Detroit’s leaders and community members commemorate the organization’s history and talk about their roles and involvement in the racial justice work with the coalition throughout 5 decades. Recorded in 2017.
New Detroit has earned a Candid Platinum Seal of Transparency on GuideStar!
