In the protest march on June 14, River Forest Village President Cathy Adduci marched together with our village trustees as many River Foresters lined Washington Boulevard in support of justice for people of color. Adduci told Wednesday Journal, “River Forest does not tolerate hate. We’re trying to work through our bigotry and racism. As we work with our neighbors and friends, I’m hopeful that River Forest is embracing this movement and knows how important it is.”
In the June 7 New York Times, Yaryna Serkez addresses the question, “Who is Most Likely to Die From COVID-19?” The answer: People with the lowest incomes, at a higher risk of severe illness if they contract COVID-19 because of the physical environments in which they live, plus systemic health inequalities, cause risk factors for low-income people of color to be two or three times higher than the median. This injustice has grown worse over the past few decades.
Out of several policies that would help improve health outcomes for low-income people of color, one — affordable housing — was the subject of a weak plan recently passed by the River Forest Village Board, in haste, and in spite of overwhelming public support for a stronger plan.
Now River Forest can take concrete steps to “work through our bigotry and racism” by making sure that our affordable housing goals are not just met but exceeded.
Suzanne Haraburd
River Forest
