Black lawmakers across Tennessee and the U.S. are meeting Sunday at Lee Chapel AME Church to discuss the state of Black health in Tennessee and what legislative changes need to be made in order to improve it.
The town hall-style meeting starts at 4 p.m. and serves as the kickoff for the National Black Caucus of State Legislators.
“Nashville was one of the birth places of the Civil Rights Movement with pioneers like John Lewis, Diane Nash and C. T. Vivian leading the charge,” Rep. Harold M. Love Jr., president-elect for the NBCSL, said in a news release. “It’s fitting that lawmakers from across the country come together here to discuss not only political and health issues, but also address gun violence in our communities, creating generational wealth and protecting our educational system.”
Health inequity is an issue that impacts various communities in the U.S., but particularly communities of color. Due to a combination of racially charged legislation, food deserts and lack of access to quality care, many communities have experienced an increase in health-related issues.
Earlier this year, BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee published its first health equity report, which focused on racial disparities in regard to healthcare and access to medical care.
According to the findings, “Black children and teens are twice as likely to die than white children and teens in Tennessee.” In addition, with limited access to healthcare and racial care disparities in the healthcare system, Black women are “twice more likely to die during pregnancy” and “Black Tennesseans accounted for nearly 30 percent of COVID-19 deaths among residents 50 years and younger.”
Tennessee Black Caucus State Legislators Chairman Rep. Sam McKenzie expressed how important it is to not only discuss these issues but enact policy changes to ensure the safety of the state’s citizens.
“The TN Black Caucus is extremely concerned about the state of our community’s health and excited about this town hall. We are bringing experts from Meharry (Medical College) and across the nation to strategize on how we can best inform behavior of our people and discuss needed policy changes in our state governments.”
The conference will touch on a variety of topics, including driving factors of obesity, the root causes of Type 2 diabetes and other healthcare factors impacting counties in Tennessee.