Sunday, July 24, 2022 | 2 a.m.
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Equity is an intrinsic good. It has its own value independent from trying to accomplish something else. We should only pursue goals and policies that further equity, setting aside all others. Our elected officials shouldn’t share any confusion about our demands, from street protests to church pews. The idea that we can create a country that’s fairer for all, regardless of skin color, should imbue everything we do, especially at a level as high as the federal government.
On the day he was sworn in, President Joe Biden released an executive order expounding the value of racial equity and his commitment to supporting underserved communities. And yet, over a year later, the White House is sponsoring a new prohibition of menthol cigarettes which will disparately affect Black communities.
Just a month ago, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration proposed a prohibition against menthol cigarettes, a product enjoyed by over 85% of Black smokers. In its statement, the FDA discussed the supposed health equity benefits of their plan but overlooked several relevant notions. It’s rare that we can examine a proposal and conclude its impact on our communities before implementation. This is one of those times.
Since its announcement, the FDA refuses to answer questions about carrying out its ban on the ground. Most likely, the federal agency will pass the responsibility to police departments across the country, relying on officers with checkered histories to enforce this prohibition. In other words, the same individuals and groups charged with police brutality and harassment will have new license to stop and frisk any Black smoker they suspect of using menthol cigarettes. Unfortunately, we know too well the names and lives extinguished by law enforcement’s flawed priorities. Why are we handing undue power to a seriously flawed institution?
Once again, our lawmakers’ pledge to communities of color falls to the wayside. Time and time again, Black interests are the first sacrificed for some supposed “greater good.” Following the tragic death of George Floyd in Minneapolis, municipalities across the country promised substantive police reform and private companies vowed to be more inclusive and conscious of social issues. It didn’t take long for those commitments to subside in the face of challenging politics and our country’s ever-wavering attention span. As a result, not enough has changed. We’re left facing the undeniable truth that racial equity is a difficult, unending process requiring dedication, intent and vision.
We can achieve this if we view every policy proposal through the lens of racial equity. If we start with such introspection, we can begin repairing the decades-long harm dealt to underserved communities in Nevada and across the country. Many find the proposed menthol cigarette ban inappropriate through this lens. Objectors come from all walks of life and both sides of aisle, united in their concern for the Black community as it faces yet another doomed prohibition.
Throughout our past, federal policymakers have moved mountains to create a more equitable society. Such reforms include equal employment opportunities, housing affordability measures and environmental reforms. It’s nothing new to the White House, nor to Democratic leadership. We know equity-rooted ideas when we see them. Now, we must start there rather than end there. Racial equity should be our first question, not our last hope.
The ban proposal doesn’t satisfy this requirement. For that reason, we must reject the idea and its potential to harm Black and brown citizens. We must demand more from federal leaders who often abandon minority communities at the first sign of difficulty or inconvenience. This paradigmatic shift in public policy will be difficult, but it’s one I’m confident we can achieve if we truly mean to. We’ve done it in the past; we can do it again.
Ender Austin is Southern Nevada regional director for Faith in Action Nevada, a nonpartisan, faith-oriented group organizing for racial justice, economic justice and inclusive democracy. He has served roles on President Joe Biden’s and Vice President Kamala Harris’ campaigns in addition to working under Rep. Steven Horsford, D-Nev.
