Alright – so, today I testified about HF 4112 which is about minorities giving advice to MN MDH and DHS about health racial disparities. Seriously, do you do know how many councils and advisory committees I have seen since I have been advocating for the past decade or so? more than I care to count. When we are at the leadership table then advice from a council is not needed because we are at the TABLE.
MN DHS and MDH create, maintain and enhance racial health disparities. They are the grandmother, father, and mother of health disparities. They never hire black & brown middle management, directors, managers, and supervisors. The few who work harder than most are forced to leave because they create a hostile and retaliation environment. Yet, the state legislators keep funding them. Why?
I appreciate what Rep. Vang is trying to do in this bill, but as someone who has been around the block and old enough to know how state health and human service agencies operate – I would not trust them with a 10-foot pole. I hope you write a bill to hold or suspend the funding they get when they discriminate and treat us differently. I hope you write a bill that makes them collect racial data on the number of providers they go after and how differently black and brown providers are treated at DHS vs how white providers are. I assure you there is a big difference. They are biased at best and racist at worst. MDH is even worse if you can believe it.
Here is my testimony – sooooo frustrating to deal with MDH and DHS.
Minnesota House of Representatives
Health Finance & Policy Committee
Chair: Rep. Liebling
March 14, 2022
Re: HF 4112
Dear Madam Chair and Members,
Many thanks for the opportunity to testify and give you my two cents on this bill and about health equity and health disparities in Minnesota. I feel like I have seen a bill like this too many times during my advocacy of over 10 years now. Many legislators in this body and the senate have created and passed health equity councils before. There have been recommendations and reports. Nothing fruitful has been produced from them because we never get to the production part; always the advice and council portion.
Black, Brown & Native Americans in Minnesota are at the bottom of every pit in health, education, and in-between. We do not need council members to tell us what we already know, feel, and live with. What we need is for state legislators to graduate from more meaningless councils to hold both the health and human services agencies accountable for creating disparities.
You see as a black woman, I do not say in the morning – I will have a cup of coffee, a bowl of cereal, and disparities. Racial disparities are created by both MDH and DHS leadership.
Here is how and what you can do about it.
- Ask MDH why there are almost or maybe none now directors and supervisors who are black and brown. Ask the current commissioner why she interviewed a Somali Mayo research doctor many times but never hired him. Does it also take that many interviews to hire Ph.D. white employees? My guess is no.
- Just in autism, ask MDH even though they are in charge of and get funded to do assessments and assurance – why they never do it. They are supposed to do outreach to all communities and let families know about autism signs and what supports, and services are available. They do not which creates disparities.
- Ask the current governor or any previous governor – how many black or brown DHS/MDH commissioners have been appointed? And please do not tell us there are no qualified ones. There are plenty who are more qualified. That creates disparities – the inability to give equal opportunities that whites in Minnesota enjoy.
- Ask DHS why so many black and brown employees quit or were fired? Some have sued for discrimination and won. Ask them why the culture inside DHS is toxic for black and brown employees.
- Ask DHS why they disproportionately close and shut down black/brown agencies while the white ones are nurtured, trained, and supported. It is all public data and facts, yet DHS keeps doing it with impunity. Did you know DHS does not keep racial data on the providers whose livelihood they destroy? Write a law that requires them to track and keep racial data.
- Ask the current DHS administration why more employees of color have been retaliated against, fired, or have filed discrimination cases. See data below.
In 2017 – 7 complained of discrimination against DHS; 2018 – there were 22; 2019 there were 31 and in 2020 there were 23. Why so many? Ask DHS.
You see Madam Chair and Members; we do not need another group to tell us what we already know. We need you to hold these agencies accountable for creating and sustaining health disparities. The disparities that MDH/DHS creates and maintains should be connected to the funding they get from you.
- Even the U of MN which is a state agency, ask them how many health researchers of color they produce and nurture? Yet they keep getting millions of dollars; why should they do better when there are no consequences for the disparities they create and enhance?
https://accesspress.org/racially-based-biases-alleged/
Racial disparities in Minnesota are the worst because those with the power allow it, continue it, and benefit from it. It even has a name Minnesota Paradox.
https://www.twincities.com/2021/05/01/samuel-myers-jr-fixing-the-minnesota-paradox/
Thanks as always
Idil – Somali Autism Mom & Advocate
The above words do not reflect any candidate, agency, or committee.
Idil – Somali Autism Mom and really frustrated advocate