Leader Sykes statement on DeWine's slow action on minority health

COLUMBUS –House Minority Leader Emilia Strong Sykes (D-Akron) today issued a statement following the unveiling of the COVID-19 Ohio Minority Health Strike Force Blueprint, a formal report from the task force on minority health the governor convened in April.Leader Sykes, a member of the Strike Force, was not notified of the final report until this morning after several weeks of delays. Members of the Strike Force have been asking for weeks to see a final report.

“Task forces to reopen businesses met and issued reports within days of their creation. Democrats called for that same sense of urgency when it came to the health and lives of Black Ohioans who have seen the worst effects of coronavirus since the outset of this pandemic. But here we are, 115 days later, nearly four months since the governor created the Minority Health Strike Force, and two months after the final report was initially due. For thousands of Black workers and Black families, it’s too little, too late—the damage is done. The governor and his team moved quickly to address some issues but not the ones that dealt with Black and Brown lives.”

Sykes sent a letter to Gov. DeWine May 12 urging action on racial disparities related to COVID-19. Sykes again called for urgent action on May 21.   

DeWine announced the creation of the Minority Health Strike Force April 20 and appointed Leader Sykes, who holds a Masters of Public Health and a Juris Doctor from the University of Florida, as one of its 41 members.