#MandateEquity
Using Legislative Power And Other Authority
To Ensure Racial Equity
An Open Letter
To President Joe Biden
Dear President Biden,
We are calling on you President Biden, to issue a federal proclamation declaring racial equity in COVID vaccine distribution and administration a national emergency. Legislative action will be needed to support this proclamation akin to the actions that followed the Presidential declaration a National Emergency Concerning the Novel Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) Outbreak on March 13, 2020.
Now that safe and effective COVID-19 vaccines are available, it is imperative that every one of our nation’s residents has fair and equitable access to this vital resource. In many states, data are not being collected to answer the simple question is the vaccine being equitably and fairly provided to all people? In Michigan, for example, African Americans are 14% of the state’s population but represent only 4% of the people who have received the vaccine in the state. African Americans have been vaccinated in Michigan at half the rate of Whites. Even more alarming, 44% of the COVID vaccine data are missing race and 70% are missing ethnicity. By contrast, only 0.01% of the COVID vaccine data are missing gender and there is no missing data on age group for vaccine recipients according to the Michigan COVID-19 Vaccine Dashboard.
Clearly there is capacity to collect demographic data. The omission of race and ethnicity data from these data collection systems leaves us with no credible pathway to assess racial equity in who is actually getting the COVID vaccine injected in their arm. This is an injustice against all Americans to inequitably deliver this dose of hope to some more than others.
Further exacerbating the problem in Michigan are attempts by a GOP legislature to preclude the use of race and scientifically validated measures of social inequality to more equitably distribute the vaccine to communities. Governor Gretchen Whitmer, Lieutenant Governor Garlin Gilchrist, and Michigan Chief Medical Officer Dr. Joneigh Khaldun led the charge to create a state COVID Disparities Task Force and Michigan closed the disparities gap for African Americans in COVID cases and deaths by September 2020. While we have a track record of success and a tremendous amount of goodwill from some, more than goodwill be needed in Michigan and across the country to ensure vaccine equity in distribution and, most importantly, in vaccine administration.
Nationally there are racial disparities in COVID vaccination. While Michigan leaders have been transparent in disclosing our disparities and mounting equity-centered and evidence-based solutions to ensure fairness in COVID resources for all people, sadly, we are pushing a boulder up hill. Partisan politics and a flat-out unwillingness by some to do the right thing remain two of our greatest challenges.
Another obstacle communities face in vaccine equity is that substantial doses of COVID vaccine are being distributed directly to pharmacies and big box stores from the federal government. These direct distributions allow some vaccine providers to operate outside of the purview of the state’s normal distribution channels. This has likely contributed to vaccine inequity and further fueled mistrust for many minority residents, who have watched White neighbors get vaccinated while they sit by the phone hoping to break through the maze and bottlenecks of multiple waitlists.
Now that vaccine demand far exceeds vaccine supply, issues of COVID vaccine hesitancy are not the imminent problem driving racial inequity in vaccine administration. In fact, vaccine waitlists include minority residents who are simply not able to get an appointment to receive the vaccine, despite their willingness to take it. We need legislative pull to support the tremendous community push for COVID vaccine equity.
You, President Biden, have an unprecedented opportunity to demonstrate where there is goodwill there is a legislative way. Please use your power and authority to drive legislative efforts to #MandateEquity in COVID vaccine distribution and administration – now!
Signed By 93 #MandateEquity Supporters:
Debra Furr-Holden, PhD
Epidemiologist and Director Flint Center for Health Equity Solutions
Michigan State University
Flint, MI
Tricia (CK) Hoffler
President, National Bar Association
National Bar Association
Brookhaven, Georgia
Isaiah M. Oliver
President and CEO
Community Foundation of Greater Flint
Flint, MI
Rev. Dr. S. Todd Yeary, Esq.
Senior Pastor/Chief Admin. Officer
Douglas Memorial Community Church/Rainbow PUSH Coalition
Baltimore, MD
E. Yvonne Lewis
CEO/Founding Director
National Center for African American Health Consciousness
Flint, MI
Sean A. Valles
Associate Professor and Director of the Center for Ethics and Humanities in the Life Sciences
College of Human Medicine, Michigan State University
East Lansing, MI
Mary Katherine Crawford, MPH
Public Health Practitioner
Flint Center for Health Equity Solutions
Clarkston, Michigan
Richard C Sadler
Assistant Professor
Michigan State University
Flint
Kaitlyn Webster
Burton
Kathleen A Assiff
Haslett, Michigan
Sarah Egan
Oak Creek, WI
Kay Doerr
Former Chairperson, Genesee County Board of Health
Flint, Michigan
Rodlescia S Sneed, PhD, MPH,
Assistant Professor
Division of Public Health, Michigan State University
Flint, MI
Lawrence Reynolds ,MD
Health Advisor to the Mayor Neeley ,City of Flint
Flint
Heatherlun Uphold, PhD
Michigan State University
Flint, MI
Chiarina G Owens
Pediatric Neuropsychologist
Genesee Health System
Flint, Michigan
Daniel Thiel
Health Policy Doctoral Student
University of Michigan
Ann Arbor, MI
Barry Turner
Executive Director
Community Outreach for Family and Youth
Flint
Kirk D. Smith
President & CEO
Greater Flint Health Coalition
Flint, Michigan
Leah Maschino, MPH
Michigan State University
Flint, MI
Jacqueline Dannis
Flint, Michigan
Knoll Larkin
Director, Office of Cancer Health Equity & Community Engagemnt
Karmanos Cancer Institute
Detroit, Michigan
Samuel Wisniewski
Epidemiologist/Biostatistician MSUCOM Statewide Campus System
Michigan State University
East Lansing
Connie Currier, DrPH, MPH
Assistant Professor
Master of Public Health Program, Michigan State University
Flint, MI
Ladel Lewis
Flint, MI
Tracy Wacker
University of Michigan-Flint
Metamora
Aurora Sauceda
Community Coordinator
Latinos United for Flint
Flint, MI
Todd A. Womack
Pastor
Flint Central Church of the Nazarene
Flint, MI
Brandon Taylor
MSW
Michigan State University
Flint, MI
Jill Vondrasek
Michigan State University
Flint, MI
Lakesha M. Butler, PharmD
Professor and Director of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
Southern Illinois University Edwardsville
St. Louis, Missouri
Marlee Sherrod
Canton, MI
Robert Wahl
Assistant Professor
Division of Public Health, Michigan State University
Flint, Michigan
Mieka Smart
Swartz Creek, MI
Jessie Spencer
Research Assistant
Michigan State University Division of Public Health
Flint
Renee Bayer
Associate director for engagement
CREATE for STEM Institute, Michigan State University
East Lansing
Jonathan Weyhrauch
ROCHESTER HILLS, MI
Kimberly Cox
Clarkston, Michigan
Sarah Dyszlewski
Industrial/Organizational Psychologist Practitioner
Farmington Hills, MI
Natasha Williams
PPHI-Flint Registry
Michigan State University
Flint, MI
Claudia Catherine Crawford
Battle Creek, Michigan
Brittany Perlaki, MSOT, OTRL
Madonna Rehabilitation Hospital
Nebraska
Jason Uphold
Holly,MI
Fatima Din
Seattle, WA
Jessica Kanaan
BSN, MBA
Macomb, Michigan
Kristen Senters Young
Director of Women’s Specialty services
Flint Odyssey House
Flint, Mi
Victoria Arteaga
Volunteer Staff Attorney
International Affairs Center
Flint, Michigan
Jennifer Edwards-Johnson, DO, MPH
Community Assistant Dean
Michigan State University
Flint, MI
Kelly Kolhagen
Senior VP
MSL
Clarkston, MI
Jessica Riggs
PhD
MI
Dr. Damiya E. Whitaker
Behavioral Scientist/Health Disparities Research
Bethesda, Maryland
Zoe Weinstein, MD, MS
Assistant Professor
Boston University/Boston Medical Center
Boston, MA
Marc A Zimmerman
Prevention Research Center, School of Public Health
University of Michigan
Ann Arbor
Daniela Polk
Los Angeles, CA
Diana Kelly
Flint, MI
Natalie Lamberti
Shelby Twp. Michigan
Bradley Vlcek
McHenry, IL
Amy Drahota, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor, Psychology
Michigan State University
East Lansing, Michigan
Burton Bargerstock
Executive Director, Office for Public Engagement and Scholarship
Michigan State University
East Lansing
Tina Nole
Larj Media
Seattle, WA
Caroline Q
Madison heights Michigan
Bab Bolelli
El Granada, CA
Nina Gegenheimer
Oak Park, IL
Lorraine Haye
Barrington, IL
Maria del Carmen Rodriguez
Attorney
Private Citizen
Chicago, IL
Dondre D. Young
Chair, Youth Advisory Workgroup, Protect Michigan Commission
State of Michigan
Flint, MI
Tonyé Barango
SFAA
Aurora, IL
Natasha Williams
Flint Registry
Michigan State University
Flint, MI
Brittany Curry
Savannah, GA
Barbara McGhan
Flint MI resident and concerned citizen
Please Select
FLINT
Jonne M McCoy-White
Community Outreach Program Specialist
Michigan State University
Flint, MI
Paul Kilgore, M.D., M.P.H.
Associate Professor
Wayne State University
Detroit, Michigan
Raquel Thueme
President
Ruth Mott Foundation
Flint, MI
Elizabeth Money
Clarkston, Michigan
Tonya French-Turner, MBA
Co-Dirrctor
Healthy Flint Research Coordinating Center
Flint
Alecia Person
Chicago, Illinois
Raymond Sherrod
Raysen Care Services/Sen-Ray of Hope LLC
Waterford Michigan
Mel Soltau
Downers Grove, IL
Patricia Nowlan-Beilfuss
Home Health RN
Oak Park, Illinois
Erin Franzen
Flint
Eric Oliver
President
Angelsmith, Inc.
Los Angeles, CA
Candace Smith-King
Vice President, Academic Affairs and Designated Institutional Official
Grand Rapids, Michigan
Vildana Tinjic
MSU
Cedar Rapids
Jessica Gutierrez
Flint
Tracy Liichow
Public Health Consultant
Lansing, MI
M Theresa Matarazzo
Baltimore, MD
Imari E Smith
Flint, MI
Julia Galliker
Oakland County Director
Michigan Liberation
Detroit
Rana Elmir
Acting Executive Director
ACLU of Michigan
Detroit, Michigan
Pete Hutchison
Hands 4 Peace Consulting
Flint, Michigan
Andrew T Marshall
Assistant Professor
Children’s Hospital Los Angeles / University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA
Clark M. Peters
Associate Professor
University of Missouri
Columbia, MO