The Franklin County Commissioners today unanimously passed a resolution expressing their support for the more than 70,000 Asian-American and Pacific Islander residents of Franklin County, and condemning racism and discrimination in all its forms. The move is in response to the recent series of attacks against Asian-Americans and residents of Pacific Islander descent, including the horrific murder last week of eight people in Atlanta, including six Asian-American women.
The commissioners have a long record of promoting racial equity, inclusion, and diversity in their offices, including through the
Rise Together Blueprint to Reduce Poverty which recognizes racial inequities as a root cause of poverty. They have also made investments in racial equity training for their staff and community partners, and have always had inclusive, progressive human resources policies. Last year, they led a number of other jurisdictions in recognizing
racism as a public health crisis, and enshrined
racial equity as one of their
core principles of governance.
The resolution passed this morning notes that there have been nearly 3,800 reported hate-fueled incidents against the Asian-American and Pacific Islander community in the U.S. over the past year, and that nearly 70% of the victims have been women. It also documents numerous instances of racist anti-Asian policies in America such as the Page Act or Chinese Exclusion Act of the late 1800s and the internment of more than 120,000 Japanese-Americans during World War Two.
The resolution states that the Board of Commissioners stands in solidarity with Central Ohio Asian-American and Pacific Islander residents, and condemns anti-Asian hate, racism, and discrimination. It also calls on the residents of Franklin County to examine their own biases and work to make our community more inclusive and welcoming, and it calls on the governor and Ohio General Assembly to declare racism a public health crisis and support the creation of a state commission for Asian-Americans and Pacific Islander affairs.
The full text of the resolution can be found
here.