Activists back Mayor Johnson's firing of Dr. Allison Arwady from Department of Public Health

CHICAGO (CBS) -- A week after Mayor Brandon Johnson fired Dr. Allison Arwady as the commissioner of the Chicago Department of Public Health (CDPH), one group is saying it was the right move to move the department forward.

Activists with the People's Response Network were outside City Hall on Friday, noting Johnson said during his campaign for mayor that he would fire Arwady.

They also said CDPH needs to do more with community-based organizations and focus more funding on Black and Brown neighborhoods.

"Removing Arwady is just one step towards the remedy of racial inequity in funding," said Creola Hampton, board chair of Black Leadership Advocacy for Healthcare Equity.

"I support Dr. Arwady, and I hope she does fine in her endeavors that she's going to take, but we're here now to support Mayor Johnson so that he can revitalize rebuild and restrengthen and reorganize the Department of [Public] Health," said Dr. Barbara Norman, who served as deputy commissioner at CDPH under former Mayor Harold Washington.

CDPH has lost two other leaders. Both chief medical officer Dr. Jennifer Seo and managing deputy commissioner Megan Cunningham have announced their resignations.