Governor Whitmer proclaims December 10, 2020 as Human Rights Day in Michigan to commit Michigan to taking action to protect the rights of all people, and to raise awareness about violations of human rights that still occur across the world.
“In Michigan, we have made great progress in building a more inclusive and unbiased state that works for everyone, but there is more work to do to build a stronger Michigan for everyone,” said Governor Whitmer. “Today we recognize the inalienable rights of all people no matter their race, sex, religion, gender, ability, age, class or otherwise. I will continue to use every tool at my disposal to create a more just, equitable Michigan for all.”
This year the governor also signed Executive Directive 2020-9, recognizing racism as a public health crisis and taking initial steps to address it within state government. The negative impacts of racism have put the lives of countless people of color at risk. To this day, racism perpetuates inequitable outcomes in the criminal justice system, achievement gaps in education, disproportionate results in health and infant mortality, and job and housing discrimination.
Governor Whitmer joined the American Public Health Association, the American Medical Association, the American Academy of Pediatrics, and the American College of Emergency Physicians in declaring institutional racism an urgent public health issue.
The United Nations General Assembly adopted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights on December 10, 1948, to proclaim the inalienable rights of every human being regardless of race, color, sex, political opinion or any other status. Since then, Human Rights Day has been observed annually to raise awareness of the inequalities, exclusion and discrimination that still exists across the globe.
This year’s theme, “Recover Better – Stand Up for Human Rights,” reflects on how COVID-19 recovery efforts are crucial to securing human rights.
