How Systemic Racism and Preexisting Conditions Contributed to COVID-19 Disparities for Black Americans
Episode Summary:
The conversation with Dr. Keisha Bentley-Edwards and Dr. Paul Robbins discusses their chapter on systemic racism and how it manifests in different ways and settings, especially furthering the impact of COVID-19 on inequality.
Bentley-Edwards and Robbins also discuss the social determinants of health, which are the social factors that influence one’s health. These can be things like policies, social services, and everyday interactions. It is important to consider social determinants when thinking about racial differences, as race is a social construct. Social determinants can have a big impact on one’s health, and oftentimes these differences are preventable.
Robbins discusses how African Americans are more likely to have pre-existing conditions that put them at greater risk for severe consequences if they contract COVID-19. He attributes this to the way that society in general exposes Black Americans to these conditions.
The episode presents the different ways in which people have responded to the pandemic. It is noted that some people believe that “we are all in this together”, while others think that demographic characteristics play a role in worse outcomes. It is also mentioned that there were miscommunications about the pandemic and that many people were not using lessons learned from previous pandemics.
Topics Discussed in this Episode:
- The Social Determinants of Health
- COVID-19: The Disproportionate Impact on Black Communities
- The Risk of Death for Black Americans
- Essential Workers: The Unspoken Heroes of the Pandemic
- The Impact of Systemic Racism on Vaccine Distribution
- The Importance of Equity in Healthcare
Resources Mentioned in this episode:
Episode transcript:
Full episode transcript can be found here
Calls-to-action:
- Voting matters
- Advocate for those who aren’t given the voice to advocate for themselves
- Don’t take anything for granted; be conscious of what’s affecting the world around you
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