February 7, 2022: At the Euclid City Council meeting, the Cuyahoga County Board of Health presented a resolution to the City of Euclid for demonstrating strong leadership on our efforts to address racism as a public health crisis.

The Board of Health, through an unanimously approved resolution in July of 2020, declared racism a public health crisis in Cuyahoga County. The goal of this resolution was addressing systemic racism and the disparities Black people face in terms of healthcare, the criminal justice system, food accessibility, business opportunities, affordable housing, transportation, educational opportunities and other areas of life. These disparities were found by the Board of Health to result in shorter life expectancies, poorer health conditions and lower incomes. 

The Board of Health recognized Euclid for their efforts in adding public basketball courts. To bring these courts to fruition Euclid created a team made up of the mayor, some local residents, City Council, the recreation department, a local church, Euclid City Schools and the Board of Health. This group all worked together to plan and acquire funding for the building of two new public basketball courts outside of Bluestone Elementary School. The city also held public forums to hear community feedback on where the new basketball courts should be, and why public courts are so important to the community.

Euclid Recreation Director Mac Stephens spearheaded the basketball court project calling public basketball a "way to reach and mentor the youth."

As of 2021, we have built four public basketball courts in the City of Euclid- two at Bluestone Elementary and two at Memorial Park near city hall. We are proud of the work that has been done and look forward to more partnerships and more initiatives towards the goal of erasing disparities for minority residents.