Racial Disparities in Healthcare
Racial disparities in healthcare is defined when persons of color do not receive equal treatment to their white counterparts. This causes many patients of color to go misdiagnosed, receive low quality treatment options, and even get rejected care in general. As a result, this ties into the deep-rooted issues found in the healthcare system and the embedded racism that has been around for centuries. The history of racial disparities in healthcare has been around since the slavery era and is caused by the delusional belief that black people are inferior to pain.
Many have studied the racial injustice in healthcare and have found that these disparities could begin to be resolved if we addressed the root of systemic racism. We know that racial disparities haven’t just started with healthcare, but extended deeply into the social-economic, environmental racism and into food desserts. This affects the BIPOC community for several reasons, as it breaks the trust to be treated from the healthcare system and the ramifications are higher mortality rates among the BIPOC community.
The most recent public health crisis has been the novel COVID-19 virus, which has had an effect on the BIPOC community at a disproportionate rate. These numbers speak to the value of how widespread the lack of progression is from the local and national standpoint. Many areas of the country are in locations where gerrymandering is still very much alive and well. With this being said, this gives us a look into why it is important we push for renewed and equality laws on both ends of local and national levels. We see much of our current circumstances because too many mandated officials choose to not believe and address what is impacting our communities. This leaves us feeling as though we have nowhere to turn to and feel hopeless for a better future.
I believe that a non-person of color can have a huge impact by making their stance known that justice has to be served to bring change for the greater good of the people. Participating in town halls, writing letters of concern to both local and national officials, and joining nonprofits that promote providing better healthcare for the BIPOC community. These may seem like little acts of justice, but in the long term, it will bring awareness and more support for the BIPOC community.
