WHEREAS, asthma is a chronic respiratory disease that affects more than 25 million people in the United States, including over 6 million children, and disproportionately impacts Black, Brown, and low-income communities; and
WHEREAS, the City of Richmond—situated along major highways and freight corridors and home to long-standing industrial operations like the Chevron Refinery—continues to face severe air quality challenges, with its most vulnerable neighborhoods disproportionately burdened by environmental hazards and oversaturated with tobacco retailers, contributing to some of the highest asthma rates in the region; and
WHEREAS, asthma continues to be a leading cause of emergency room visits, missed school and workdays, and long-term health disparities for Richmond families, deepening existing inequities; and
WHEREAS, community-rooted organizations such as Communities for a Better Environment (CBE), Asian Pacific Environmental Network (APEN) , Richmond Our Power Coalition, Urban Tilth, West County Toxics Coalition, Richmond Progr essive Alliance (RPA), and the Richmond Shoreline Alliance are on the frontlines of advocacy, education, and environmental justice work to reduce asthma triggers and demand clean, breathable air for all; and
WHEREAS, these groups are actively working toward a just transition— moving Richmond away from fossil fuel dependency and environmental harm and toward a future centered on public health, clean energy, green jobs, food sovereignty, and climate resilience; and
WHEREAS, May is nationally recognized as Asthma Awareness Month, offering an opportunity to increase education, support prevention, amplify community-led solutions, and advance policies that prioritize environmental health, especially in cities like Richmond with long -standing burdens of pollution.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, I , Mayor Eduardo Martinez, that The City of Richmond does hereby proclaim May 2025 as Asthma Awareness Month in the City of Richmond, and urges continued collaboration with residents, health experts, and environmental justice leaders to protect public health, advance equity, and support a just transition for the well -being of future generations.
_____________________________ _____________________________ Mayor Eduardo Martinez Council Member Jamelia Brown City of Richmond District 1
May 27,2025
Recognizing May 2025 as Asthma Awareness Month