As stated by the American Public Health Association, declarations are an important first step to advancing racial equity and justice. In 2018, Milwaukee County, Wisconsin, became the first community to declare racism a public health crisis. Many communities have since done so, with the pace of adoption accelerating after the police killing of George Floyd and the protests for justice that followed, with nearly 200 declarations passing since May 2020. As of August 2021, 209 declarations of racism as a public health crisis have passed in 37 states. While resolutions and formal statements themselves are not necessarily legally enforceable, they create the opportunity for strategic action to eliminate racist policies and practices and adopt those that advance racial equity. This panel outlines how we can create a framework to drive changes to health policies, laws and resource allocation.