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Dear Dr. Redfield, the COVID-19 pandemic's disproportionate impact on the black community.

The killings of George Floyd, Mod Arbery, Breonna Taylor, and Rayshar Brooks.

These are just the most recent and tragic symptoms of the long festering disease of racial discrimination

and oppression in the United States. All around the world,

attitudes have marched, protested, and leveraged righteous anger to bring about change.

Within the black community, the pain is palpable.

Maddie, this is how a recent letter begins.

It was signed by more than 1,400 current employees of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention,

the country's top public health agency.

And the voices you heard were two previous CDC employees who support the authors of the letter.

1,400 employees.

Selena, we should note that's more than 10% of their entire workforce, right?

Right, and the letter starts off with this discussion of one public health crisis, racism.

Which by the way, the CDC does not list as a public health crisis.

So as we've talked about on the show, there are absolutely public health experts in organizations that do.

Yes, and this is something the authors of the letter actually raise. They write this.

At CDC, we have a powerful platform from which to create real change.

By declaring racism a public health crisis, the agency has an unprecedented opportunity

to leverage the power of science to confront this insidious threat that undermines the health and strength of our entire nation.

Yet, CDC must clean its own house first.

Wow, I mean, that's pretty damning, Selena.

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