20.107 A Resolution in Support of Actions to Combat the Public Health Crisis of Systemic RacismIn the Year Two Thousand and Twenty
Upon the recommendation of Councilor Gina-Louise Sciarra, Councilor William H. Dwight and
Councilor John T. Thorpe
R-20.107 A RESOLUTION
IN SUPPORT OF AND COMMITTING TO ACTIONS AT THE
FEDERAL, STATE AND LOCAL LEVEL TO COMBAT THE
PUBLIC HEALTH CRISIS OF SYSTEMIC RACISM
Be it resolved by the City Council of the City of Northampton, in City Council assembled, as
follows:
Whereas:
George Floyd, an unarmed African-American man, was asphyxiated by a Minneapolis police
officer or officers on May 25th 2020; and
Whereas:
Breonna Taylor, an African-American Emergency Room Technician, was shot eight times and
killed in her own home by Louisville police on March 13th, 2020; and
Whereas:
Ahmaud Arbery, an African-American man was shot and killed by two white civilian men while
jogging through a South Georgia neighborhood on February 23rd, 2020; and
Whereas:
Mr. Floyd’s, Ms.Taylor’s, and Mr. Arbery’s deaths and the manner of their deaths are yet more
examples, in a list of countless examples, of an endemic culture of oppression and racism that
exists in our country; and
Whereas:
The widespread revulsion demonstrated by our fellow citizens to this, and to all of the
accumulated historical racist actions, requires a reckoning and a commitment from all of us to
confront this greatest threat to our society; and
Whereas:
In the absence of presidential leadership, it is incumbent upon local authorities to respond to
the suffering that racism inflicts; and
Whereas:
We continue to acknowledge the deaths chronicled in this resolution and all of the racially
perpetrated deaths that preceded them, as well as the racial violence and state and federal
violence throughout the country that has followed them; and
Whereas:
The City Council of Northampton has for decades decried and condemned by resolution and
laws the myriad racist acts committed by individuals and persons in authority; and
Whereas:
The City Council of Northampton will continue to stand unified in our commitment to confront
institutional racism, implicit bias, and bigotry in all forms and violence.
Whereas:
On May 29, 2020 the American Public Health Association declared racism an ongoing public
health crisis, and on June 7, 2020 the American Medical Association stated that racism is an
urgent threat to public health.
Now therefore be it resolved that the City Council of Northampton:
Reasserts its unequivocal opposition to expressions and acts of hate; and
Be it further resolved that:
We will devote our efforts to expanding the challenging but necessary community conversation
on racism and on all of our respective culpabilities; and
Be it further resolved that:
We call for increased resources from the Commonwealth for comprehensive anti-racism
trainings for state and municipal employees and students; and
Be it further resolved that:
The Northampton City Council supports the Massachusetts Black and Latino Legislative Caucus’
proposed 10-Point Plan to Combat Systemic Racism in Policing and Police Brutality stating:
At the Federal level:
1. Pass Congresswoman Pressley’s Resolution to condemn police brutality, racial profiling
and the excessive use of force.
2. Improve oversight and independent investigations to hold individual law enforcement
officers and police departments accountable.
3. Department of Justice must reassert its statutory authority to investigate individual
instances of racial profiling, police brutality and violence and investigate and litigate individual
law enforcement officers and police departments routinely violating civil rights.
4. Adopt sound and unbiased law enforcement policies at all levels of government that
reduce the disparate impact of police brutality, racial profiling and use of force on Black and
Brown people and other historically marginalized communities.
At the State level:
5. Resolve to provide for a “Special Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training” to
study and make recommendations concerning the implementation of a state-wide Peace Officers
Standards and Training (POST) system, H2146, to certify police officers and enable de-certification
for misconduct and abuse.
6. Pass An Act to Reform Civil Service Exams, H2292, establishing an Office of Diversity and
Equal Opportunity to establish guidelines and review for diversity plans for all state agencies,
establish a peace officer exam advisory board to review examinations for appointment and
promotion of peace officers.
7. Pass an Act establishing a special commission on structural racism, H1440, establishing a
commission to study how the systemic presence of institutional racism has created a culture of
structural racial inequality which has exacerbated disproportionate minority contact with the
criminal justice system in Massachusetts.
8. Adopt clear statutory limits on police use of force, including choke-holds and other tactics
known to have deadly consequences. Require independent investigation of officer-related
deaths. Require data collection and reporting on race, regarding all arrests and police use of force
by every department.
At the Municipal level:
9. Declare Racism is a Public Health Crisis and worthy of treatment, assessment and financial
investment in order to eradicate negative health impacts.
10. Create a Civil Review Board/Commission with subpoena power to investigate allegations
of law enforcement wrongdoing.
The Northampton City Council acknowledges the steps that the Northampton Police
Department has previously taken that align with the Plan, including use of force policies and
prohibiting chokeholds, and we assert there is more we can do as a city to combat systemic
racism in our municipality and policing. We support the work of the Northampton Policing
Review Commission created on July 9, 2020 to study and make informed recommendations for
change to the city’s approach to policing.
Be it further resolved that:
The Northampton City Council strongly agrees that racism is a public health crisis and in addition
to asking to declare it so at the municipal level, asks the Commonwealth to devote the resources
needed to combat this crisis at both the state and local levels.
Be it further resolved that:
The Administrative Assistant shall cause a copy of this resolution to be delivered to Governor
Charles Baker, Attorney General Maura Healy, Senators Elizabeth Warren and Edward Markey,
Congressman James McGovern, Massachusetts Senator Jo Comerford and Massachusetts
Representative Lindsay Sabadosa and the Chair of the MBLLC, Representative Carlos González;
Commissioner of the Massachusetts Department of Public Health, Dr. Monica Bharel;
Northampton Director of Public Health, Merridith O’Leary.