DAYTON — UPDATE @ 3:55 p.m.: Montgomery County commissioners on Tuesday afternoon passed a resolution declaring racism a public health emergency for the county.

The commissioners identified racism as a root cause of poverty, negative social determinants of health, and overall poor health outcomes. They asserted that racism causes persistent discrimination and disparate outcomes in many areas of life, including housing, economic opportunity, infant mortality, employment, food access, and criminal justice.

Trump signs order on policing

President Trump signed an executive order Tuesday afternoon that will require state and local law enforcement agencies to be certified by independent credentialing bodies chosen by the U.S. Attorney General in order to receive federal funding.

In their reviews, credentialing bodies should address topics including “policies and training regarding use–of-force and de-escalation techniques; performance management tools, such as early warning systems that help to identify officers who may require intervention; and best practices regarding community engagement.”

UD Working to become ‘anti-racist’

The University of Dayton is working to become “an anti-racist university,” members of President Eric Spina’s President’s Council said in an open letter to the UD community Monday.

The outpouring of grief and anger over the killings of George Floyd in Minneapolis, Ahmaud Arbery in Georgia, Breonna Taylor in Louisville, among others, “highlights a long-standing pattern of unjust deaths of Black citizens, along with many systemic, racist injustices that impact African Americans, Indigenous Peoples, Latinx, Asian Americans, and other populations that are underrepresented at UD,” the council said.

“As a nation, we can — and must — do better,” they said.

UD is not immune to the kinds of racist systems and behaviors that perpetuate institutional racism, the council said. "Historically, this has created barriers and persistent disparities on campus and caused pain for our Black students, alumni, faculty, and staff. As a university community, we can — and must — do better,” the council said again.

The council said UD’s administrative leaders share the responsibility to enact meaningful, action-oriented change at UD.

“To create an anti-racist university of authentic inclusivity that is full of opportunity for all, we are committed on our campus to working for justice and human rights and doing what will improve the diversity, equity, and inclusivity of UD," the council said. “As a Catholic, Marianist university, we believe every person has innate dignity because all people are made in the image and likeness of God.”

"We are called to embrace human diversity, communicate with respect, and to understand, disrupt, and dismantle systemic racism. Black lives do indeed matter."

Senior administrative leadership at UD is committing to take concrete action that will mark UD as an anti-racist institution, enhance the quality of our educational environment for all students, and enhance the quality of life for Black members of the UD community as well as other marginalized populations.

The council said some initiatives will happen quickly and others will require more time.

“As a group and as individuals, we hold ourselves accountable for the actions listed above, understanding that there are many groups and individuals working to lead and support this work, and more that is being done,” the council said.

What else you should know today about the demand for change:

• Springfield residents now have resources to file complaints against police
• Arrests mark second consecutive day of contentious demonstrations in southern Ohio
• Another black man in California is found hanging from a tree
• Atlanta mayor lays out steps for police reform in wake of Rayshard Brooks killing

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