The latest Walgreens closure in Democrat Rep. Ayanna Pressley’s state of Massachusetts — namely, on Warren Street in Roxbury — is the result of racial discrimination, she claimed on the House floor.
“Mr. Speaker, Walgreens is planning to close yet another pharmacy in the Massachusetts Seventh — this time on Warren Street in Roxbury, a community that is 85 percent black and Latino,” she began, explaining that this closure is “part of a larger trend of abandoning low-income communities,” citing previous closures in her district.
“When a Walgreens leaves a neighborhood, they disrupt the entire community, and they take with them baby formula, diapers, asthma inhalers, life-saving medications, and, of course, jobs,” she continued, explaining her belief that these closures are “not arbitrary, and they are not innocent.”
“They are life-threatening acts of racial and economic discrimination. That is why I joined with Sen. Markey and Warren to demand answers from Walgreens’ CEO,” she continued, asking why there was no community input on the matter.
“No adequate notice to customers and no transition resources to prevent gaps in health care? Shame on you, Walgreens. Having a website with talking points about health equity and underserved communities is not enough,” Pressley continued.
“Walgreens is a multibillion-dollar corporation that needs to put their money where their mouth is,” she continued:
According to WCVB, “It’s the latest Walgreens to shut its doors in recent years, one of approximately 200 store closings the company said would be coming in 2024.”
While this move appears to be due just to downsizing as previously planned, Pressley failed to bring attention to the wider trend of not just Walgreens but other popular retailers— including Walmart, Target, and Best Buy — being forced to shut down stores throughout the entire United States due to the trend of rising crime and theft.
