I have heard the disparities in health between White and Black folk. I am aware of the stereotypes that lower income people eat a less healthy diet. Maybe this is because in urban areas, there aren't good grocery stores where fresh foods can be purchased. I know the food pantry I volunteered at passed out canned and processed food, because it kept on the shelf. There was talk of improving the nutritional value at one point and pancakes and syrup were removed as staples. I think this is changing in my community because bountiful Victory Gardens were started around town last year, and the food delivery program is able to deliver more fresh and frozen foods, thus improving the quality.
Maybe there are less doctors working with POC or in communities where they live. This brings me to COVID and data is pretty clear that Blacks are dying at higher rates than their White counterparts. In spite of this, there is some understandable fear among certain groups about taking a new vaccine. This dates back the known studies Blacks were unknowingly involved in including the Tuskegee study and the case Henrietta Lacks, whose cervical cells were used in perpetuity without her knowledge or consent. I wasn't able to finish the book that was written on this, but I find it curious how Johns Hopkins University spins her legacy:
https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/henriettalacks/
If that isn't systemic racism (lack of acknowledgement or remorse for a wrongdoing towards a Black woman) I don't know what is. The first paragraph contains the following: At the time, The Johns Hopkins Hospital was one of only a few hospitals to treat poor African-Americans. This was the best medical treatment available. Way to legitimize what you did!
Postscript: If I had actually listened to the suggested Ted Talk (https://www.ted.com/talks/david_r_williams_how_racism_makes_us_sick) I would have had a better understanding on this topic. Racism itself causes health problems. Dr. Williams found a way to measure discrimination and found that the more acts of racism the person was exposed to, the more health problems and earlier death. Racism causes stress and mental health issues which lead to poor health. Discrimination in health care exists as well, so that POC get lesser quality health care
No comments:
Post a Comment